Today’s daf is sponsored by the Hadran Zoom family. “איך נפלו גיבורים. We share in the pain of our fellow learner, Geri Goldstein Guedalia on the tragic loss of her step-grandson, Sgt. Yosef Guedalia HYD who was among the first to fall and gave his life על קדושת השם העם והארץ. Yosef’s life touched so many profoundly. May Hashem bring nechama to the Guedalia family and to all of Am Yisrael. ובלע המות לנצח ומחה ה’ דמעה מעל כל פנים”
Are the boundaries delineating unflawed lineage in Babylonia the same as those for divorce documents, as a get that comes from Babylonia does not need the messenger to testify that it was written and signed in front of him? The rabbis mention the names of different cities and discuss whether or not they are considered like Babylonia and their inhabitants can be presumed of unflawed lineage. According to Rabbi Yochanan, some of these cities were alluded to in a verse in Daniel 7:5 in one of his visions of a bear (reference to Persia) subjugating the Jews of those cities. Rebbi on his death bed prophesized about various things including various cities with residents of flawed lineage and also about the birth of Rav Yehuda on the day of his death. A similar statement is made that when certain great rabbis died, another great rabbi was born – Rabbi Akiva and Rebbi, Rebbi and Rav Yehuda, Rav Yehuda and Rava, Rava and Rav Ashi to show that when a righteous person leaves the world, a different righteous person is born to replace him. There is a debate about whether the opinion brought that all other lands (other than Babylonia) have people with flawed lineage is just Rabbi Meir’s opinion and the rabbis disagree and think all people are by default unflawed or do the rabbis agree with Rabbi Meir? There is a debate also brought about whether mamzerim will be purified in the future or not. rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yehuda debate whether a convert can marry a mamzeret.
