Jerusalem Talmud Ketubot 1.9

משנה: הָיְתָה מְעוּבֶּרֶת וְאָמְרוּ לָהּ מַה טִיבוֹ שֶׁלְּעוּבָּר הַזֶּה. מֵאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי וְכֹהֵן הוּא רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְרִבִּי אֱלִיעזֶר אוֹמֵר נֶאֱמֶנֶת. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר לֹא מִפִּיהָ אָנוּ חַיִּין אֶלָּא הֲרֵי זוֹ בְחֶזְקַת מְעוּבֶּרֶת לְנָתִין וּלְמַמְזֵר עַד שֶׁתָּבִיא רְאָיָיה לִדְבָרֶיהָ.

MISHNAH: If she was pregnant and one asked her, what kind of fetus is this? He is from Mr. X, a Cohen; Rabban Gamliel and Rebbi Eliezer say, she is believed. Rebbi Joshua said, we do not live off her mouth but there is a presumption that she is pregnant from a Gibeonite or a bastard unless she provides proof of her statement.

הלכה: הָיְתָה מְעוּבֶּרֶת כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי לָעְזָר. הַכֹּל מוֹדִין בִּוְולָד שֶׁהוּא שְׁתוּקִי. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים. בְּעֵידוּת אִשָּׁה גּוּפָהּ. אֲבָל בִּוְולָד הַכֹּל מוֹדִין שֶׁהוּא שְׁתוּקִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שְׁתוּקִי סְתָם. מָצִינוּ שְׁתוּקִי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל. הֵיךְ עֲבִידָא. סִיעָה שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים עוֹבֶרֶת וּפִירֵשׁ אֶחָד מֵהֶן וּבָעַל. הֲרֵי מָצִינוּ שְׁתוּקִי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל.

HALAKHAH: “If she was pregnant,” etc. Rebbi Eleazar said, everybody agrees that the child is of unknown paternity. It was stated thus: “Where was this said, for the testimony of the woman in her own behalf. But everybody agrees that the child is of unknown paternity.” Rebbi Joḥanan said to him, simply of unknown paternity! We find that a child of unknown paternity can be High Priest. How is this possible? A group of Cohanim was passing by, one of them came and had sexual relations; it turns out that the child of unknown paternity can be High Priest.

אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי לָעְזָר. הֲרֵי אַלְמָנַת עִיסָּה הֲרֵי הִיא כְשֵׁירָה וּבִתָּהּ פְּסוּלָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כְּדִבְרֵי שֶׁהוּא מַכְשִׁיר בָּהּ מַכְשִׁיר בְּבִתָּהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אָחָא. לֹא אָמַר כְּדִבְרֵי מִי שֶׁהוּא מַכְשִׁיר. הָא מִכְּלָל דְּאִית חוֹרָן פּוֹסֵל. מַנִּי מַכְשִיר. רִבִּי מֵאִיר. מַנִּי פוֹסֵל. רַבָּנִן. דְּתַנֵּי. אֵי זוֹ הִיא עִיסָּה כְשֵׁירָה. כָּל שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ לֹא חָלָל וְלֹא מַמְזֵר וְלֹא נָתִין. רִבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר. כָּל שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ אַחַת מִכָּל אֵילּוּ בִּתָּהּ כְּשֵׁירָה לִכְהוּנָּה. אֲבָל מִשְׁפָּחָה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּקַּע בָּהּ פְּסוּל. רִבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר. בּוֹדֵק עַד אַרְבַּע אִימָּהוֹת וּמַשִּׂיא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים. בּוֹדֵק לְעוֹלָם.

Rebbi Eleazar said to him: Is not the dough widow qualified but her daughter is disqualified? He said to him, whoever declares her to be qualified, declares her daughter to be qualified. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said, did he not say “whoever declares her to be qualified”? This implies that there is another who disqualifies! Who declares qualified? Rebbi Meïr. Who disqualifies? The rabbis. As we have stated: What is qualified dough, anyone about whom there is [no suspicion of descent from] a desecrated, a bastard, or a Gibeonite. Rebbi Meïr says, the daughter of any woman not tainted with one of these is qualified for thepriesthood. But about a family in which a disability had disappeared, Rebbi Meïr says he checks up to four mothers and marries, but the Sages say, he checks forever.

רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי זְעִירָא לֹא אָמַר כֵּן אֶלָּא רִבִּי לָעְזָר שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אַלְמָנַת עִיסָּה מָה הִיא. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כְּשֵׁירָה. בִּתָּהּ מָה הִיא. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כְּדִבְרֵי מִי שֶׁהוּא מַכְשִׁיר בָּהּ מַכְשִׁיר בְּבִתָּהּ. הֲווֹן בָּעֵיי מֵימַר. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי לָעְזָר שְׁתוּקִי פָסוּל. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן שְׁתוּקִי כָשֵׁר. אַף רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אִית לֵיהּ שְׁתוּקִי פָסוּל. בְּשִׁיטָּתוֹ הֵשִׁיבוֹ. בְּשִׁיטָּתָךְ שֶׁאַתְּ אוֹמֵר. אַף שְׁתוּקִי סְתָם. מָצִינוּ שְׁתוּקִי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל. הֵיךְ עֲבִידָא. סִיעָה שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים עוֹבֶרֶת וּפִירֵשׁ אֶחָד מֵהֶן וּבָעַל. הֲרֵי מָצִינוּ שְׁתוּקִי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל.

Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ze‘ira had a different version: Rebbi Eleazar asked Rebbi Joḥanan, what is the rule about a dough widow? He said to him, she is qualified. What about her daughter? He said to him, the one who declares her to be qualified, declares her daughter to be qualified. They wanted to say, according to Rebbi Eleazar, a child of unknown paternity is disqualified; according to Rebbi Joḥanan, a child of unknown paternity is qualified. Rebbi Joḥanan also holds that in some cases a child of unknown paternity is disqualified; he answered [Rebbi Eleazar] following the latter’s reasoning: Since you reason that the child is simply of unknown paternity, we find that a child of unknown paternity can be High Priest! How is this possible? A group of Cohanim was passing by, one of them came and had sexual relations; it turns out that the child of unknown paternity can be High Priest.

מִילְתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי זֵירָא אָמְרָה. שְׁתוּקִי כָשֵׁר. רִבִּי זְעִירָא בְעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אַף לְעִנְיָין מִשְׁפָּחָה כֵן. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כֵּן אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן לְעִנְיָין מִשְׁפָּחָה. בְּרַם הָכָא לְעִנְיָין קָדְשֵׁי הַגְּבוּל. מִילְתָא דְרִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר יִצְחָק. שְׁתוּקִי פָסוּל. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק בְּעָא. מֵעַתָּה אֵין שְׁתוּקִי כְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּכְרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אֶלָּא כְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. חָזַר וְאָמַר. יֵשׁ שְׁתוּקִי כְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּכְרִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר בְּשׁוֹתֶקֶת. וַאֲפִילוּ תֵימֵר בִּמְדַבֶּרֶת. בְּאוֹמֶרֶת. אֵינִי יוֹדַעַת.

The word of Rebbi Zera implies that a child of unknown paternity is qualified, for Rebbi Ze‘ira asked before Rebbi Yasa: Is it the same for families? He said to him, so says Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: There, for families, but here for sanctified food in the country. The word of Rebbi Samuel ben [Rav] Isaac implies that a child of unknown paternity is disqualified, for Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac asked: Does this mean that a child of unknown paternity is does not exist following Rabban Gamliel and Rebbi Eliezer, only following Rebbi Joshua? He turned around and said, a child of unknown paternity is possible following Rabban Gamliel and Rebbi Eliezer, if she remains silent. And even if you say that she talks, if she said that she does not know.