- Yeser girded his sword like a Yishmaeli and related the halachah regarding Dovid’s yichus
Continuing with the account of Doeg’s challenges to Dovid’s yichus the Gemara reconciles contradictory pesukim, where in one passuk, Amasa, who was married to Dovid’s sister is referred to as the son of Yisra HaYisraeli, and in another passuk his father is referred to as Yeser HaYishmaeli. Rava explained that when Doeg wanted to disqualify Dovid, שחגר חרבו כישמעאל – that Yeser girded his sword like a Yishmaeli and said: כל מי שאינו שומע הלכה זו ידקר בחרב – Whoever does not accept the halachah shall be impaled by the sword. For I have received a tradition from the Beis Din of Shmuel that the Torah prohibits "עמוני" ולא עמונית "מואבי" ולא מואבית, and therefore Dovid is permitted to marry into the kahal. The Gemara questions whether one is believed when one quotes a halachah in such a situation for Rebbe Abba said in the name of Rav: כל תלמיד חכם שמורה הלכה ובא – Any talmid chochom who teaches a halachah that was unknown to others, אם קודם מעשה אמרה שומעין לו ואם לאו אין שומעין לו – If he had related it prior to an actual case we listen to him, but if not, we do not listen to him. The Gemara answers that it is different here since Shmuel and his Beis Din were still around. Rashi explains that since his statement could be verified, he would not speak falsely.
- "פתחת למוסרי" – רות המואביה ונעמה העמונית
Rava expounded: What is the meaning that which is written: "פתחת למוסרי" – You have released my yoke straps? Dovid said to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, Ribbono shel Olam, שני מוסרות שהיו עלי פתחתם – the two straps that were upon me – you have released, Rus HaMoaviah and Naamah HaAmonis. Naamah was the wife of Dovid’s son Shlomo and the mother of his grandson, Rechavam. Therefore, there were two yoke straps that were potentially harmful to the yichus of Dovid’s malchus, Rus from Moav and Naamah from Ammon. Now that the halachah has been resolved permitting female converts from these nations to marry into the kahal Hashem released Dovid from these yoke straps.
- Machlokes if a daughter of Ammoni ger who married a Yisraelis is fit for the Kehunah
Ulla said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan: בת גר עמוני כשרה לכהונה – The daughter of a male Ammoni ger is fit for the Kehunah. The Gemara clarifies that the case is the daughter of a male Ammoni ger who illegally married a Yisraelis. Reish Lakish disagrees with Rebbe Yochanan and says she is pesulah, unfit to marry a Kohen. The Gemara explains that Reish Lakish holds that she is unfit for he learns it from the case of a daughter from a Kohen Gadol and an almanah. Rashi explains that just as the daughter conceived through their improper relations is a chalallah and is unfit for the Kehunah, so too the daughter conceived from the improper relations of the Amoni ger to a Yisraelis is unfit for the Kehunah. Rebbe Yochanan’s position is learned from his response to Rebbe Zakkai who taught that only a daughter of converts from the same nation is permitted to a Kohen Gadol. Rebbe Yochanan responded that he learned the following Baraisa regarding the passuk, "כי אם בתולה מעמיו יקח אשה" – Only a besulah of his nation shall he (the Kohen Gadol) take as his wife. The Torah does not state עמיו but מעמיו – from his nation, implying partially from his nation, להביא בתולה הבאה משני עממין – to include a besulah that comes from two nations. The Gemara proves that according to Rebbe Yochanan, the passuk is referring to a besulah who is the daughter of a male Ammoni ger who married a Yisroelis and is teaching that she is fit for the Kehunah.