Yevamos - Daf 78
- Why בנים and דורת were mentioned in the passuk regarding Mitzri and Edomi geirim
The passuk regarding Mitzri and Edomi converts states: "בנים אשר יולדו להם דור שלישי יבא להם בקהל ה'" – Sons who are born to them in the third generation may enter into the kahal of Hashem. It was taught in a Baraisa: If “sons” are mentioned, why are “generations” mentioned, and vice versa? If “sons” were stated and “generations” were not stated, I would have said, בן ראשון ושני אסור שלישי מותר – that the first and second son are assur, but the third son is mutar. Therefore, the passuk says, דורות – generations. And if “generations” were stated and “sons” was not stated, I would have said לאותן העומדים על הר סיני - the Torah is referring to those standing at Har Sinai, which Rashi explains to mean that we would have thought that the first and second generation of Jews standing at Har Sinai were prohibited to marry Mitzri and Edomi geirim, but the third generation of Jews would be permitted to marry them. Therefore, the Torah teaches “sons,” which is clearly referring to the Mitzri and Edomi sons.
- When a pregnant gentile woman converts her child does not require a tevilah
The Gemara explained that the reason that Rebbe Yochanan ruled that the status of a child of Mitzri geirim is after its mother is because the passuk states: "אשר יולדו" – who are born to them. But in general, we rule that a child’s status goes after its father, and we do not say that עובר כירך אמו – that a fetus is considered like the thigh of its mother. The Gemara asks how this fits with what Rava said that נכרית מעוברת שנתגיירה בנה אין צריך טבילה – If a pregnant gentile woman converted her child does not require immersion. If the child is not considered the thigh of its mother, but rather it is a separate entity, why does the child not require its own immersion? And if you are going to answer that Rebbe Yitzchak said that Torah law is regarding chatzitzah, רובו ומקפיד עליו חוצץ רובו ואינו מקפיד עליו אינו חוצץ – that a chatzitzah that covers the majority of the body and that one objects to is chotzeiz, but one that covers the majority of his body and does not object to is not chotzeitz, and therefore since the fetus does not object to being covered by his mother’s body, her body is not a chatzitzah and the tevillah is valid, but Rav Kahana said that this rule only works when the majority is covered, but a chatzitzah that covers the whole body is a chatzitzah. The Gemara answers, שאני עובר דהיינו רביתיה – a fetus is different since this is the way it develops. Therefore, the mother’s body is not a chatzitzah.
- Dovid’s efforts to determine the cause of the famine
As part of the background to Dovid’s decree that the Nesinim are not permitted to marry into the kahal, the Gemara relates that there was a famine in the land for three years. The first year, Dovid said that perhaps it is because there are idol worshipers among them. They went and checked and there were none. The second year he said that perhaps there are people who act promiscuously among them. They went and checked and there were none. The third year he said perhaps it is because there are those that pledge tzedakah in public who do not fulfill their pledge. They went and checked and there were none. Dovid said, אין הדבר תלוי אלא בי – The matter of the famine hinges on me. He asked the Urim v’Tumim and Hashem replied that the famine is for Shaul, in that they did not eulogize him properly, and for Shaul’s sin that he killed the Givonim. The Gemara clarifies that since Shaul massacred that inhabits of Nov, the city of Kohanim who supplied the Givonim with water and food, the passuk regards it as though Shaul killed them.
