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Child from Adulterous Relationship

Question:

I need to know the Halacha: a married woman had an affair with another man and brought a child in to the world from that man, is that child allowed to marry a Levi?

Answer:

The offspring of the union of a married woman and a Jewish man other than her husband produces what is known in halacha as a “mamzer”, an illegitimate child. This child may in fact not marry any regular Jew, whether a Kohen, Levi or Yisrael.

While the mamzer can not join the general marriage pool, there are some he could marry. A male mamzer and a female mamzer could marry each other. A mamzer could also marry a convert. A mamzer can even marry the offspring of two converts, even though that person was born Jewish, See Kiddushin 75a.

 

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4 Comments

  1. He might not be a mamzer, especially if the woman was at the same also intimate with her husband,, also if the man whe slept with was a non jew then the child also isnt a mamzer

    1. The given of the question was that the affair made her pregnant, if there is doubt about that then it is different. Regarding the aspect of the non Jew, that is correct, the child will be a pugum, but not a mamzer. See E:H 4-19. I will correct that in the answer.

    1. A pagum is a person who was conceived from a union of a man with a woman who is in has the status of a nidah.

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