Yevamoth, Chapter Eight, Mishnah Three
Introduction
This mishnah discusses the other categories of people who are forbidden to enter into
the congregation of the Lord mentioned in Deuteronomy 23:4-9.
Mishnah Three
1) An Ammonite and a Moabite are forbidden [to enter into the congregation of the
Lord] and their prohibition is for ever.
One) However, their women are permitted at once.
2) An Egyptian and an Edomite are forbidden only until the third generation,
whether they are males or females.
One) Rabbi Shimon permits their women immediately.
Two) Said Rabbi Shimon: This is a kal vehomer: if where the males are forbidden for all
time the females are permitted immediately, where the males are forbidden only
until the third generation how much more should the females be permitted
immediately.
Three) They said to him: If this is a halakhah, we shall accept it; but if it is only a logical
reference, there is a refutation.
Four) He replied: This is not so, I am in fact saying a halakhah.
3) Mamzerim and nethinim are forbidden, and their prohibition is forever, whether
they be males or females.
Explanation
Section one: The prohibition of the Ammonite and Moabite (Deuteronomy 23:4) is
eternal. This means that all of their descendents are forbidden from entering into
marriage with an Israelite. Note that even should they convert, which they may, they
are still prohibited from marrying Israelites.
However, the prohibition of Ammonites and Moabites is only for the men. Women
are permitted immediately. As soon as they convert, they may contract marriage with
other Israelites. Indeed, Ruth was a Moabitess and one of her descendents was King
David.
Section two: In contrast, the prohibition of Egyptian and Edomite converts is only
temporary. Three generations after the conversion, they may intermarry with other
Israelites.
According to the first opinion in the mishnah, female Egyptian converts and female
Edomite converts are also prohibited for three generations. This opinion probably
reasons that since they will eventually be allowed to intermarry with Israelites, the
temporary prohibition covers both males and females. Rabbi Shimon, on the other
hand, takes a more lenient stance and allows females to marry Israelites immediately
upon conversion. He is also consistent in explaining the verse. Since all of these
verses use masculine language, they all exclude only the males and not the females.
The Sages respond to Rabbi Shimon that if his halakhah is a tradition which he
learned from his rabbis, they will accept it. However, if it is just based on reasoning
they have a means by which to refute it. Their refutation is probably the logic that I
presented as their reasoning above. Since Egyptians and Edomites are permitted after
three generations, the females are not permitted immediately.
Despite the fact that Rabbi Shimon’s original words appeared to have been based on
logic, he responds that the halakhah is actually based on a tradition. In this mishnah
we can clearly see the rabbinic preference for tradition over logic. The rabbis will
only accept Rabbi Shimon’s ruling if it was one that he received from his rabbis. In
such a case they would accept it even if they found the logic faulty. In response
Rabbi Shimon pleads with them, claiming that his words are indeed a tradition.
Section three: Concerning the mamzer and the netin, all of the sages agree that their
prohibition is for all subsequent generations and that both men and women are
prohibited. Deuteronomy 23:3 only states that mamzers are prohibited until the tenth
generation. It doesn’t say, as does verse four concerning the Ammonite and Moabite,
that they are prohibited forever. However, the rabbis employ a verbal analogy (a
gezerah shavah) to compare the two. Just as it says “until the tenth generation” about
the Ammonite and Moabite, and yet they are prohibited for all generations, so too the
mamzer, about whom it also says, “until the tenth generation” is prohibited for all
generations.