Marriage with Converts

The daughter of a disqualified priestly male is always disqualified for [marriage within] the priesthood. The daughter of an Israelite who marries a desecrated woman is qualified for the priesthood. The daughter of a desecrated priest who marries an Israelite woman is disqualified for the priesthood. R. Judah says: the daughter of a male proselyte is like the daughter of a desecrated priest. R. Eliezer ben Jacob said: the daughter of an Israelite who marries a proselyte is qualified for the priesthood and the daughter of a proselyte who marries an Israelite woman is qualified for the priesthood, but the daughter of a proselyte who marries a proselyte is disqualified for the priesthood, both proselytes and freedmen, even for ten generations, unless the mother is from Israel. R. Yosi says: Even the daughter of a proselyte who marries a proselyte is qualified for the priesthood. [ . . . ]

R. Simeon says: Unless they grow the hymen in the holiness of Israel. It was stated in the name of R. Simeon: A girl who becomes a proselyte, who is less than three years and one day of age, is acceptable for the priesthood since it was said: All the female children unfit for sleeping with a male you shall let live for yourselves (Numbers 31:18) and Phinehas was with them. How do the rabbis explain this? You shall let live as slaves and slave girls for yourselves. [ . . . ]

A priest married the daughter of proselytes. The case came before R. Abbahu, who let him kneel before the low bench. R. Bevai said to him, “Did the rabbi not teach us that practice follows R. Yosi?” He answered, “But aren’t priests used to following R. Eliezer ben Jacob?” He retorted, “Rabbi, does one whip because of what one is used to do?” He said to him, “If you look at it in such a way, you have appeased me and I shall let him get up.” [ . . . ]

R. Jacob bar Idi said in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi: It happened that a family in the south had a bad reputation. Rabbi sent Romanus to investigate them. He investigated and found that a grandmother had been converted at less than three years and a day of age, and he declared them fit for the priesthood. R. Hoshaiah said: He declared them fit following R. Simeon.