## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 248

###### Sifrei Devarim 248:1
[Sifrei Devarim 248:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/248:1)

(דברים כג ג) **לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר בִּקְהַל ה׳**, בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה. **לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר**, כָּל שֶׁהוּא מַמְזֵר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 23:3) "A *mamzer* may not come into the congregation of the L-rd." ("*mamzer*" =) "*mum zar*" ("a foreign blemish" [i.e., a blemish resulting from "foreign" (i.e., non-permitted) relationships]), whether a man or a woman.


###### Sifrei Devarim 248:2
[Sifrei Devarim 248:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/248:2)

אֵיזֶהוּ מַמְזֵר? כָּל שְׁאֵר בָּשָׂר שֶׁהוּא בְּ״לֹא יָבוֹא״, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג א): ״לֹא יִקַּח אִישׁ אֶת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה כְּנַף אָבִיו״, (דברים כג ג) ״לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר בִּקְהַל ה׳״ – מַה אֵשֶׁת אָב מְיוּחֶדֶת שֶׁהִיא שְׁאֵר בָּשָׂר שֶׁהוּא בְּ״לֹא יָבוֹא״ וְהַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר, כָּךְ כָּל שְׁאֵר בָּשָׂר שֶׁהוּא בְּ״לֹא יָבוֹא״ הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Who is a "*mamzer*"? All kin who are subsumed in "may not come." These are the words of R. Akiva. For it is written (*Ibid*. 1) "A man shall not take the wife of his father and he shall not uncover the lap of his father … (3) "A *mamzer* may not come, etc." Just as "the wife of his father" is distinct in being kin and subsumed in "may not come," and the child is a *mamzer*, so, in all who are thus characterized, the child is a *mamzer*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 248:3
[Sifrei Devarim 248:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/248:3)

שִׁמְעוֹן הַתֵּימָנִי אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלָיו כָּרֵת בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג א): ״לֹא יִקַּח אִישׁ אֶת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה כְּנַף אָבִיו״, (דברים כג ג) ״לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר בִּקְהַל ה׳״ – מָה אֵשֶׁת אָב מְיֻחֶדֶת שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלֶיהָ כָּרֵת בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר, כָּךְ כָּל שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלָיו כָּרֵת בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Shimon Hatemani says: All who are liable to *kareth* (cutting-off) at the hands of heaven — the child is a *mamzer*, it being written "A man shall not take the wife of his father … A *mamzer* may not come, etc." Just as "the wife of his father" is distinct in being liable to *kareth* at the hands of heaven and the child is a *mamzer*, so, in all who are thus characterized, the child is a *mamzer*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 248:4
[Sifrei Devarim 248:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/248:4)

רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלָיו מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג א): ״לֹא יִקַּח אִישׁ אֶת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו״, וּכְתִיב (דברים כג ג): ״לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר״ – מָה אֵשֶׁת אָב מְיֻחֶדֶת שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלֶיהָ מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין וְהַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר, כָּךְ כָּל שֶׁחַיָּבִים עָלָיו מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
R. Yehoshua says: All who are liable to judicial death penalty — the child is a *mamzer*, it being written "A man shall not take the wife of his father … A *mamzer* may not come, etc." Just as "the wife of his father" is distinct in being subject to judicial death penalty and the child is a *mamzer*, so, in all who are thus characterized, the child is a *mamzer*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 248:5
[Sifrei Devarim 248:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/248:5)

**דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי**, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי, מַה דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי הָאָמוּר לְמַטָּה עַד עוֹלָם אַף דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי הָאָמוּר כָּאן עַד עוֹלָם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"even the tenth generation": It is written here "the tenth generation," and below (4) (in respect to an Amoni and a Moavi) "the tenth generation." Just as "the tenth generation" there is for all time, so, "the tenth generation" here.