Rabbi Zeira, when he ascended to here, he would hear voices calling mamzer and mamzeret.34When Rabbi Zeira emigrated from Babylonia to the Land of Israel, he heard people accusing others of having the status of mamzer. He said: Has what Rav Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days, gone away? Rabbi Yaakov bar Rav Aḥa said: It is like that which Rava and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days.
When? In a case where [his status] is not public knowledge; but if it becomes public knowledge, he lives. In the days of Rabbi Berekhya, a certain Babylonian ascended to here, and Rabbi Berekhya knew that he was a mamzer. He went to [Rabbi Berekhya] and said to him: ‘Garner merit through me.’35This individual asked Rabbi Berekhya to give him charity.
Rabbi Berekhya said: ‘Go on your way and come tomorrow, and I will give you a stipend from the public fund.’ He went to him the next day and found him sitting and speaking in the synagogue. He waited until he finished. When he finished his sermon, he went to him.
Rabbi Berekhya said to them: ‘My brethren, garner merit through this man, who is a mamzer.’ They provided him with a stipend. When they left there, he said to him: ‘Rabbi, I asked you for temporal life, and you have cut short the life of this man.’36He was referring to himself. Now that everyone knew he was a mamzer, he would not be able to marry and start a family.
He said to him: ‘As you live, I have granted you life, as Rava and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. When? In a case where [his status] is not public knowledge; but if it becomes public knowledge, he lives.’