(Mishnah): Converts and freed slaves.

Question: What is the source that they came?

Answer (Rav Chisda): "And everyone who separated from the impurity of the nations (i.e. converted. All or nations (plural) alludes to another separation, i.e. freedom - Tosfos ha'Rosh)"

(Mishnah): Mamzerim.

Question: What is the source that Mamzerim came?

Answer #1: "Tuvya the slave... was the son-in-law of Shechanyah ben Arach, and his (Tuvya's) son Yehochanan married Meshulach's daughter";

The Tana holds that the children of a Bas Yisrael from a Nochri or slave are Mamzerim.

Question #1: How can we answer for the opinion that children of a Bas Yisrael from a Nochri or slave are Kesheirim?

Question #2: Perhaps Tuvya and his son married Benos Yisrael, but had no children!

Question #3: What is the source that the children were born in Bavel and came with Ezra? Perhaps they were born in Eretz Yisrael!

Answer #2: "Those who came up from Tel Melach, Tel Charsha, Keruv, Adon and Imar could not tell their lineage, if it was from Yisrael."

"Tel Melach" alludes to people (adulterers,) like those of Sodom (which was transformed to a mound of salt);

"Tel Charsha (silence)" alludes to one (a Shetuki) whose mother silences him when he calls someone 'father'.

"They could not tell their lineage, if it was from Yisrael" are Asufim.

Version #1 (R. Avahu): "Keruv, Adon and Imar" - the Adon (Hash-m) said 'I said that Yisrael should be as sanctified like the Keruvim (the figures on top of the Aron in the Mishkan), but they made themselves like a Nemer (leopard, which is not concerned for marital fidelity).

Version #2 (R. Avahu): "Keruv, Adon and Imar" - the Adon said 'even though Yisrael made themselves like a Nemer, they are important to Me like the Keruvim.'

(Rabah bar bar Chanah): "Those that came up from Tel Melach, Tel Charsha..." - anyone who marries a woman (whose lineage is) improper for him, it is as if he plowed the world and seeded it with salt.

(Rabah bar Rav Ada): If one marries a woman due to money, his children will be improper - "they betrayed Hash-m, for they fathered foreign children".

Suggestion: Perhaps their money will not be lost.

Rejection: "Their portions will be consumed in a month."

Suggestion: Perhaps this only refers to the portion (of her money) for which he is responsible (Tzon Barzel), not the portion for which he has no responsibility (Melug).

Rejection: It says "their portions".

Suggestion: Perhaps this will not happen soon.

Rejection: It will be "in a month."

(Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): It is consumed month by month.

(Rabah bar Rav Ada): If one marries a woman improper for him, Eliyahu ties him and Hash-m lashes him.

(Beraisa): In all such cases, Eliyahu writes and Hash-m signs 'woe to one who disqualifies his seed, blemishes his family, and marries a woman improper for him.'

If one constantly degrades people, he himself is Pasul, and never praises others.

(Shmuel): He debases other people with his own Psul.

A man of Neharda'a entered a butchery in Pumbedisa. He was told to wait until Rav Yehudah bar Yechezkel's servant received his meat.

The man: Who is this Yehudah bar Shviskel (glutton), that I should wait for him?!

When Rav Yehudah heard about this, he excommunicated the man. When he heard that the man always calls people slaves, Rav Yehudah announced that the man is a slave.

The man summonsed Rav Yehudah for judgment in front of Rav Nachman. Rav Yehudah received the summons, and was unsure if he should go.

Rav Huna: Since you are greater than Rav Nachman, you need not go. However, you should go, to honor the Nasi (Rav Nachman married the Reish Galusa's daughter).

Rav Yehudah wanted to show Rav Nachman that he should not have summonsed him. He saw Rav Nachman building a Ma'akah (railing) around his roof.

Rav Yehudah: Shmuel taught that a community leader may not work in front of three people!

Rav Nachman: It is only a small enclosure.

Rav Yehudah rebuked him repeatedly for using flowery expressions (like the Reish Galusa does), unlike the way Chachamim or common people speak.

Rav Nachman: Let my daughter serve us drinks.

Rav Yehudah: Shmuel taught, one may not use a woman among men, even a minor.

Rav Nachman: Would you like to send regards to my wife?

Rav Yehudah: (She will respond, and) one may not hear a woman's voice.

Rav Nachman: You can send regards through me!

Rav Yehudah: Shmuel said that we do not greet women at all.

Rav Nachman asked why Rav Yehudah had come. He could not believe that he had summonsed Rav Yehudah, until he saw the summons. (Perhaps the man merely told Rav Nachman 'a man named Yehudah called me a slave', and Rav Nachman had no idea that he referred to Rav Yehudah - PF.) Rav Nachman suggested hearing the case, lest it appear that Chachamim cover up for each other.

Rav Nachman: Why did you excommunicate the man?

Rav Yehudah: He annoyed the messenger of a Chacham. Rav lashes for this; I was even stricter.

Rav Nachman: Why did you announce that he is a slave?

Rav Yehudah: He constantly says that other people are slaves.

(Beraisa): If one constantly degrades people, he himself is Pasul;

(Shmuel): He debases other people with his own Psul.

Rav Nachman: Granted, Shmuel said we should suspect lest he has that disqualification. He did not say that we announce it!

The man: Do you call me a slave? I come from the royal family of Chashmonai!

Rav Yehudah: Shmuel taught that if one claims to be from the Chashmonayim, he is a slave.

Rav Nachman: R. Aba taught that a Chacham is not believed to recite a new teaching relevant to a case that already arose!

Rav Yehudah: Rav Masnah also heard this from Shmuel.

Rav Masnah had not been in Neharda'a for 13 years. That day, he came.

(Rav Masnah citing Shmuel): Anyone who claims to be from the Chashmonayim, he is a slave. We learn this from the testimony of a girl, the last (true) remnant of the Chashmonayim, just before she killed herself.

Rav Nachman announced that the man is a slave. That day, the 'Chashmonai' women tore their Kesuvos. (A slave has no Kidushin or Kesuvah. We must say that the 'Chashmonayim' married exclusively among themselves. If a slave marries a Bas Yisrael, the children are Yisre'elim.)

When Rav Yehudah was leaving, people wanted to stone him (for revealing lineage problems).

Rav Yehudah: If you cause problems, I will reveal what Shmuel said about the lineage of two families of Neharda'a.

One was assumed to be Kosher, and the other Pasul. Both of these were wrong.

The people dropped their rocks.

Rav Yehudah, Rava, Rav Yosef and Abaye all announced about people of improper lineage.

(Rav Yehudah): Four hundred (some say, 4,000) slaves intermarried with Kohanim (in the days of Yirmiyahu). Any brazen Kohen is from them.

(Abaye): They are all in Neharda'a.

(R. Elazar): Brazenness is normal among (even proper) Kohanim - "like quarreling Kohanim."

(Ravin bar Rav Ada): When Hash-m restores His Presence to us, He will testify about all the tribes (that they are His), but not about one who marries a forbidden woman.

"The tribes of Hash-m, testimony to Yisrael" - the testimony is only when they are tribes of Hash-m.

(R. Chama b'Ribi Chanina): Hash-m will rest His Presence only on families of proper lineage - "I will be Elokim to all families of Yisrael, and they will be to Me a nation."

(Rabah bar Rav Huna): For Yisrael, (even if initially they are not worthy,) "I will be Elokim to (them), and (due to this) they will be to Me a nation";

For converts, only after "his heart moved him to come close to Me. You will be to Me a nation, and I will be Elokim to you."

(R. Chelbo): Converts are as problematic for Yisrael as Tzara'as - "the converts will be Nispechu (added) to Yisrael";

This word is related to Sapachas (a kind of Tzara'as).