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converted to Judaism, he is allowed to marry a Jewish woman.” The
Beis Shmuel (ibid. 34) writes that he is allowed to join the Jewish
community because while he was a non-Jew, mamzerus was not rele-
vant. The Beis Shmuel writes further (ibid. 33) that the same would
apply if the son didn’t convert but had relations with a Jewish woman
– their child would be kosher and would not be a mamzer. The Vilna
Gaon (ibid. 46) writes too that there is no mamzerus for gentiles. See
the Meshech Chochmah (Bereishis 19:37), who writes that there is no
mamzerus for gentiles.

However, the Levush writes that although while still a non Jew
the son [of a non- Jew who had relations with his mother] is every
7 bit a mamzer, being the issue of a union that incurs the death penalty
by beis din – because the Torah forbids a non-Jew to have relations
with his mother, in the passuk “Therefore a man shall leave his …
mother” (Bereishis 2: 24) – when he converts, he is nonetheless“like a
newborn child” and is considered to be a different person. The author
of Apei Zutrei writes that it is not clear that mamzerus is irrelevant
for non-Jews.

Now in maseches Taanis (6a) it says,“Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani
said in Rabbi Yonasan’s name, ‘Three individuals asked inappropri-
ately etc. [These were]: Eliezer, the servant of Avraham Avinu, Shaul
[Hamelech] ben Kish, and Yiftach Hagiladi. Eliezer, servant of Avra-
ham – as it is written “Let it come to pass that the lass to whom I say,
‘Please incline your pitcher…’” (ibid. 24:14). What if she was lame
or blind? Yet [Hasem yisbarach] responded suitably and Rivka came
along. Shaul ben Kish – as it is written (Shmuel I, 17:25),‘And it shall
be that the man who smites him [Goliath], the king will make him
very rich and will give him his daughter…’ What if he was a slave or a
mamzer? Yet he was answered suitably and David came along.” Tosfos
ask (ibid. s.v. yachol),“Why isn’t the same wording used about Eliezer
the servant of Avraham as about Shaul immediately thereafter –
‘What if she would have been a mamzeres or a slave?’ Rashi says that
[this is because] the concept of mamzerus did not yet exist in Eliezer’s
time because the Torah had not yet been given.” Why didn’t Tosfos
answer that mamzerus does not apply to non-Jews, even since the To-

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