Yevamot 16b (טז:) — the Talmud in English

He stated it categorically,

in a definitive formulation that cannot be divided,

and teach

the tanna in the Mishna: The bloodstains that come

from among the gentiles

are pure!

And

this formulation implies that

even

the bloodstains that come

from Tarmod

are pure, since it did not exclude this place from the general rule!

And

about this

Rabbi Yohanan said:

This means: We accept converts from Tarmod,

and we do not fear that perhaps there are Jews among them and they are mamzerim! For if there were concern that they were mamzerim who were Jewish, there would also be concern regarding their bloodstains.

But earlier we said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan that we do not accept converts from the Tarmodites!?

And if you would say

to resolve this, that Rabbi Yohanan indeed

“This

means,” he said, that this is indeed what is implied by the Mishna. But

and

he himself

does not hold

by the ruling of the Mishna; rather, there is concern that they are Jews.

It is impossible to resolve it in this manner. For:

And did Rabbi Yohanan not say: The halakha follows an unattributed Mishna!

And we answer: It is a dispute

between amoraim,

whether there is concern that there are Jews in Tarmod,

and

they disputed this

according to Rabbi Yohanan,

as to what his view was.

The Gemara now explains:

From Tarmod—

why not

accept converts from there?

Rabbi Yohanan and Savya dispute this.

One says: Because of Solomon’s slaves,

as will be explained below.

And one says: Because of the daughters of Jerusalem,

as the gentiles came at the time of the destruction and took women from among the daughters of Jerusalem for themselves, as will be explained below.

We raise a difficulty:

Granted, according to the one who says it is because of Solomon’s slaves,

the gentiles who married Jewish women [who agreed to marry them because of the wealth of Solomon’s slaves] and became assimilated among the gentiles, and there is concern that they were mamzerim, it is well that there is concern, because

he holds: When a gentile or a slave has intercourse with a Jewish woman—

the offspring is a mamzer.

But according to the one who says it is because of “the daughters of Jerusalem” -

what is it,

what is this concern?

Rav Yosef and the Rabbis dispute this.

And both of them,

both of whom disputed this matter,

said it in the name of Rabba bar bar Ḥana.

One says:

There were

twelve thousand men and six thousand archers,

those who draw bows.

And one says: Twelve thousand men, and of them

there were

six thousand archers,

six thousand who draw bows.

When the gentiles entered the Sanctuary, everyone turned to the silver and gold, while they turned to the daughters of Jerusalem.

As it is stated [

Lamentations 5]:

“They violated the women in Zion, the maidens in the cities of Judah.”

The Gemara now brings another exposition of the verse, “I was young, and now I am old,” which Rabbi Dosa ben Horkinas mentioned earlier.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: This verse,

which was said by the angel who is

“the minister of the world”: [

Psalms 37]

“I was young, and now I am old”—

must have been said by the minister of the world, for

who said it?

Who is the one who said it, if not the minister of the world?

If you say that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

said it—

is there old age before Him!?

Rather,

if you would say that

David said it—

was David so old

David

to such an extent,

when in fact he died at the age of only seventy?

Rather, conclude from it: The minister of the world said it.

And Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: What is the meaning of that which is written [

Lamentations 1]:

“His hand spread out against the enemy over all her precious things.”

This refers to Ammon and Moab.

When the gentiles entered the Sanctuary, everyone turned to the silver and gold, while they turned to the Torah scroll.

They said,

Ammon and Moab: This

scroll, in which it is written [

Deuteronomy 23]

“An Ammonite or a Moabite may not enter the assembly of the Lord”—

let it be burned in fire! [

Lamentations 1]

“The Lord commanded Jacob: his enemies surround him”—

Rav said: For example,

the sons of

Humnaya,

gentiles who oppress

the

sons of

Pum Nahara

, poor Jews.

Rav Yehuda said that Rav Asi said: A gentile who betroths a woman nowadays—

we are concerned with the betrothal, lest he be from the Ten Tribes.

And we challenge this:

But anyone who separates is presumed to have separated from the majority!

And the majority of the world is not from the Ten Tribes! And we answer:

In a place where they are established!

In the place where the members of the Ten Tribes are established, there is concern even though they are the minority, since “anything fixed in its place is considered like half and half.”

And where is the place in which the members of the Ten Tribes are established?

As

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said:

What is the meaning of that which is written [

II Kings 18]:

“And he settled them in Halah and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of Media”?

Halah—

this is Halzon.

this is Halzon.