Click here for audio

פרק ד משנה ה
אין בודקין

We do not investigate [the genealogy of a bas Kohen]

לא מן המזבח ולמעלה

neither from the Altar and up (i.e. if we find an ancestor that served at the Altar, we need not go any further back),

ולא מן הדוכן ולמעלה

nor from the duchan (the platform in the Beis Hamikdosh from which a Levi would sing) and up,

ולא מן סנהדרין ולמעלה

nor from a sanhedrin (a beis din of 23 judges that hears capital cases) and up,

וכל שהחזקו אבותיו

and all whose fathers were established to be

משוטרי הרבים

from the public officers (who heard monetary cases in Jerusalem)

וגבאי צדקה

or a charity administrator

משיאין לכהנה

may marry a Kohen

ואינו צריך לבדוק אחריהן

and it is not necessary to investigate [their genealogy] any further.

רבי יוסי אומר

Rabbi Yosi says

אף מי שהיה חתום עד

also someone who had signed as a witness

 בערכי הישנה של צפורי

in the court of Yeshanah near Tzipori

רבי חנינה בן אנטיגנוס אומר

Rabbi Chanina ben Antignos says

אף מי שהיה מכתב

also someone who was listed

באסרטיא של מלך

in the list of military officers of King [David].

   
פרק ד משנה ו
בת חלל זכר

The daughter of a male Challal (someone born from a Kohen's forbidden relationship)

פסולה מן הכהנה לעולם

is disqualified from [marrying] a Kohen forever (i.e. no matter how many generations removed from the original Challal).

ישראל שנשא חללה

A Yisroel that marries a Challalah,

בתו כשרה לכהנה

his daughter is permitted to a Kohen.

חלל שנשא בת ישראל

A Challal that marries a bas Yisroel,

בתו פסולה להכהנה

his daughter is disqualified for Kohen.

רבי יהודה אומר

Rabbi Yehuda says

בת גר זכר

the daughter of a male convert

כבת חלל זכר

is like the daughter of a male Challal.

 

 

NOTES

 

משנה ה

אין בודקין - When tracing the ancestry pursuant to the previous mishna, if one finds one of the people listed in this mishna, that branch of the family tree requires not further investigation.

לא מן המזבח ולמעלה . . . ולא מן סנהדרין ולמעלה- To have performed any of these services, one's genealogy would have already been investigated and approved.

וכל שהחזקו אבותיו משוטרי הרבים - In ירושלים, people in this position were required to to have pure ancestry.

וגבאי צדקה - A person in this position would often become entangled in monetary controversies, in which disputants would challenge their pedigree if they could.  As such, it is assumed that if there is any פסול, there would have been a קול about it.

בערכי הישנה של צפורי - This particular court required witnesses of pure ancestry.

באסרטיא של מלך - The officers of David's army were also all of pure ancestry.

משנה ו

בת גר זכר - Even if her mother was a בת ישראל.

 

Click here for the hebrew/english for פרק ד from emishna.com