Kiddushin 72: Mamzerim; Who is Forbidden from the Congregation of the Lord

Amud (a) focuses on different towns and their residents' lineages.  Which towns have fewer or more mamzerim?  How do we know?  The rabbis discuss marriages that took place and didn't take place, the locations of different towns and the likelihood that people would be excommunicated to those places, rumours about peoples' status, and other guesses.  Even Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was said to reveal towns that house assimilated mamzerim when he was on his deathbed.  While the taboos against associating with mamzerim were very strong, the reluctance to 'out' a mamzer seems to have been equally powerful.

Amud (b) takes us on a tangent based on Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's words.  Other rabbis also prophesized; in many circumstances, including that of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, it is said that a great scholar-to-be was born as many of the great Sages died.  

One of the questions raised by the Gemara involves a legitimate change in status.  If a slave is emancipated, he is no longer a slave.  If many of these slaves move to a certain town, is that town filled with slaves?  Of course not - they are free men.  But they might be referred to as slaves by outsiders, and thus their marriage options would be limited.

Our daf ends with an introduction to a new topic: the five congregations discussed into the larger Jewish community.  These are:

 

1), 2) mamzerim (Deuteronomy 23:3, twice) - cannot enter the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation

3), 4) Ammonite and Moabite (Deuteronomy 23:4, twice) - cannot enter the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation

5) Egyptians and Edomites - may enter the congregation of the Lord after the third generation (Deuteronomy 23:9)

It is notable that the sixth mention of the congregation of the Lord, those with maimed genitals or crushed testes, are not counted at this time for these injuries have no bearing on one's lineage.

We are reminded that while a convert cannot marry a mamzeret, a convert, an emancipated slave and a chalal are permitted to marry the daughter of a priest.  Even though a priest is prohibited from these unions, the daughter of a priest is permitted.