Rashi on Yevamos 45 b suggests that a descendant of a female convert may not be appointed a community leader. Does this include King of Israel? Furthermore, on Yevamos 61a a female convert is considered a zonah. In light of the above how can we explain Yevamos 63a praising the Moabite lineage of David? Doesn't this cast aspersion on the sanctity of the Davidic Kingdom ?
Joseph Neustein, M.D., El Paso, Texas USA
King David was not only king, but chief justice as well (Sanhedrin 19a), neither appointment of which can be given to converts, according to our Gemara.
However, the Gemara (and Rashi that you quote) only proscribes appointing converts themselves to such positions. Their progeny may be appointed to any position. Rashi and Tosfos explain that even one whose mother is a born-Jew and whose father is a convert may be appointed to be king of Israel! Thus, king David was not effected by this Halachah.
Acharonim point out that we do seem to find justices who were themselves converts (such as Shemaya and Avtalyon, mentioned in the beginning of Pirkei Avos) and offer various explanations for the phenomenon.
About your donation, we did receive it, and if you have not yet received a printed receipt, you should be receiving it shortly. Your help is very timely, and will enable us to continue our work. It is much appreciated, Tizkeh l'Mitzvos!
Dear Rabbi Kornfeld: Thank you for your response to my question on the status of converts. I must admit, however, that I am still uncomfortable with the implication that King David is descended from a zonah.
I am very pleased to be able to access the wonderful information you make available on the Daf Yomi web site and needless to say can only review a small fraction of what is posted. It would appear that if a SEARCH link were incorported into the web site, the potential utilization of this wealth of information could be improved.
If you think this may be of interest to you, please have your web site engineers develop a proposal for a sophisticated search engine and "hit counter." Depending of course on the cost, this may be something I could help sponsor.
Best Wishes
That King David is descended from rather irreputable sources is the subject of discussion among the commentators. They explain that it is necessary that Mashiach descend from Moav (who was the result of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter), and from seemingly improper relationship between Yehudah and Tamar, and so on. There are two basic approaches given (in English, see "Book of Our Heritage" (Kitov), the section on Shavuos, and "As in Heaven so on Earth" (Tauber)). In brief, the first says that it was necessary to make a built-in element of humility in the personality of the greatest and highest man in Israel (the king). The second approach says that the Neshamah of the Mashiach had to be "snuck" into the Jewish people, for certain spiritual forces were trying to prevent it from coming in.
A search engine is an excellent idea. We have worked on a search engine in the past but were unsuccessful in making it work. We will contact our web manager and ask him what is needed to make a working search engine.
All the best,
Mordecai Kornfeld