Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 120

Siman 120

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א הַגֵּט, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּכְתְּבֶנּוּ הַבַּעַל אוֹ שְׁלוּחוֹ; וְאַף אִם שְׁלוּחוֹ כּוֹתְבוֹ, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִשֶּׁל הַבַּעַל; לְכָךְ נָהֲגוּ כְּשֶׁהַבַּעַל מָצוּי, שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לוֹ הַסוֹפֵר הַקְּלָף וְהַדְּיוֹ וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאַף הַקֻּלְמוֹס וּשְׁאָר כְּלֵי הַכְּתִיבָה (הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי וּבַמָּרְדְּכַי מֵהִלְכוֹת גִּטִּין) בְּמַתָּנָה, קֹדֶם כְּתִיבָה. וְהַבַּעַל נוֹתֵן שְׂכָרוֹ; וּמִפְּנֵי תַּקָּנַת עֲגוּנוֹת, תִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה תִּתֵּן שְׂכַר הַסוֹפֵר וְהִקְנוּהוּ לַבַּעַל:

1 The get--it must be written by the husband or his agent. And even if his agent writes it, it must belong to the husband. Therefore they had the custom that when the husband is around, the scribe gives him the parchment and the ink. And there are those who say so too the quill and the other writing instruments (Hagahot Asheri, ch. 2, and Modercai, Laws of Gittin) as a gift before the writing. And the husband pays the wages. And because of the enactment [for the protection] of agunot, the rabbis enacted that the woman should pay the scribe they transfer title to the husband.

ב גָּזַל נְיָר וְכָתַב בּוֹ גֵּט וּנְתָנוֹ לָהּ, כָּשֵׁר, אֲפִלּוּ קֹדֶם יֵאוּשׁ. הַגָּה: אֲבָל גָּזַל גֵּט, כְּגוֹן שֶׁכָּתַב לוֹ הַסוֹפֵר גֵּט וּגְזָלוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא פָּרַע לוֹ, וְגֵרַשׁ בּוֹ, לָא הָוֵי מְגֹרֶשֶׁת (בֵּית יוֹסֵף):

2 If he stole paper and wrote on it a get and gave it to her, it is valid, even before [its original owner] has despair. Rema: But if he stole a get, for instance a scribe wrote a get and [the husband] stole it from him and didn't pay him back, and he used it to divorce her, she is not divorced [Bet Yosef].

ג כּוֹתְבִין גֵּט לָאִישׁ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין אִשְׁתּוֹ עִמּוֹ, וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הָעֵדִים שֶׁחָתְמוּ בּוֹ מַכִּירִים וְיוֹדְעִים שֶׁזֶּה פְּלוֹנִי וְאִשְׁתּוֹ פְּלוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּגַם הַסוֹפֵר צָרִיךְ לְהַכִּירָן (טוּר), וְכֵן נִרְאֶה לִי. וְהַכָּרָה זוֹ אֲפִלּוּ עַל פִּי עֵד אֶחָד, וַאֲפִלּוּ עַל פִּי אִשָּׁה וְקָרוֹב. הַגָּה: וְצָרִיךְ לְהַכִּיר שֵׁם הָאִישׁ וְהָאִשָּׁה וְשֵׁם אֲבִיהֶם, וְכָל שֶׁהֻחְזְקוּ שְׁלֹשִים יוֹם בָּעִיר, אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין לָהֶם יוֹתֵר. וְשֵׁם אָבִיו, נָהֲגוּ לִכְתֹּב עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ (בֵּית יוֹסֵף מִמַּשְׁמָעוּת לְשׁוֹן הָרַמְבַּ"ם). וְאִם הָיוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שְׁנַיִם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹתֵיהֶם שָׁוִים וּשְׁמוֹת נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן שָׁוִים, אֵין מְגָרֵשׁ אֶחָד מֵהֶם אֶלָּא בְּמַעֲמַד חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁמָּא יִכְתֹּב גֵּט וְיוֹלִיכֶנּוּ לְאֵשֶׁת חֲבֵרוֹ וִיגָרְשֶׁנָּה עָלָיו. וּבִשְׁעַת הַסַכָּנָה, כּוֹתְבִין וְנוֹתְנִין אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִים:

3 They write a get for a man even if his wife is not with him, and that is if the witnesses who sign it recognize and know that this is so-and-so and his wife is so-and-so. And there are those who say that also the scribe needs to recognize them (Tur). And so it appears to me. And this recognition [can be based] on even one witness, and even on a woman and a near [relation]. Rema: And he needs to recognize the names of the man and the woman and the name of their father, and [as long as] they have been established for thirty days in the city, one does not suspect them further. And the custom was to write the name of his father according to himself (Beit Yosef from the implication of the Rambam's language). And if there were in that place two whose names were the same and whose wives' names were the same, one may not divorce except in the presence of his fellow, lest he write a get and they bring it to the wife of his fellow and he divorces her. And in a time of danger, they write and give [the get] even if they don't recognize [him].

ד לֹא יִכְתְּבֶנּוּ הַסוֹפֵר וְלֹא יַחְתְּמוּ בּוֹ הָעֵדִים, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר לָהֶם הַבַּעַל לִכְתֹּב וְלַחְתֹּם. וּלְכַתְּחִלָּה יֹאמַר לַסוֹפֵר לִפְנֵי הָעֵדִים (בְּסֵדֶר הַגֵּט מהר"א מַרְגָּלִיוֹת). וּכְשֶׁיֹּאמַר לָהֶם הַבַּעַל, יִכְתְּבוּהוּ הֵם בְּעַצְמָם וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ לַאֲחֵרִים לִכְתֹּב וְלַחְתֹּם. אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר לְבֵית דִּין: תְּנוּ גֵּט לְאִשְׁתִּי, לֹא יֹאמְרוּ לַסוֹפֵר לִכְתֹּב וְלָעֵדִים לַחְתֹּם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אָמַר לָהֶם: אִמְרוּ לַסוֹפֵר וְיִכְתֹּב וְלָעֵדִים וְיַחְתְּמוּ, לֹא יִכְתֹּב הַסוֹפֵר וְלֹא יַחְתְּמוּ הָעֵדִים עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִפִּיו. הַגָּה: עָבַר וְגֵרְשָׁהּ עַל יְדֵי "אוֹמֵר אִמְרוּ לַסוֹפֵר וְיִכְתֹּב" כוּ', הָוֵי סָפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרְמַ"ה וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַ"ן וּבָעַל הַתְרוּמָה וּסְמַ"ג וְהַמָּרְדְּכַי וְכָל בּוֹ):

4 The scribe doesn't write, nor do the witnesses sign, until the husband says to them to write and sign. Rema: And ideally, he tells the scribe before the witnesses (Seder Haget of R' A Margoliot). And when the husband says it to them, they should write it themselves and not tell others to write and sign. Even if he says to the court, "Give a bill of divorce to my wife," they cannot tell a scribe to write and witnesses to sign. Even if he says to them, "Tell a scribe to write and witnesses to sign," a scribe cannot write and witnesses cannot sign until they hear it from his mouth. Rema: If he transgressed and divorced her by way of [telling the court] "Tell a scribe to write..." it is a legally unclear divorce (Tur in the name of the Ramah and the Beit Yosef in the name of the Ran, and the Baal Haterumah and Semag and the Mordechai and the Kol Bo).

ה אֲפִלּוּ כָּתַב בִּכְתַב יָדוֹ לַסוֹפֵר שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב וְלָעֵדִים שֶׁיַּחְתְּמוּ, לֹא יִכְתְּבוּ וְלֹא יַחְתְּמוּ עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִפִּיו, בֵּין שֶׁהוּא פִּקֵּחַ וּבֵין שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּתֵּק, בֵּין שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר וְאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ בֵּין שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ וְלֹא מְדַבֵּר. וְיֵשׁ מַכְשִׁירִין בְּמִי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּתֵּק לִכְתֹּב וְלַחְתֹּם עַל פִּי כְּתַב יָדוֹ שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב לַסוֹפֵר: כְּתֹב, וְלָעֵדִים: חֲתֹמוּ, וְהוּא שֶׁתְּהֵא דַּעְתּוֹ מְיֻשֶּׁבֶת עָלָיו:

5 Even if he wrote in his own handwriting to a scribe to write and witnesses to sign, they do not write or sign until they hear it from his mouth, whether he is mute or not, whether he is deaf but not mute or he is deaf and mute. Some allow someone who is mute to have it written and signed when he writes in his own handwriting, where he writes to the scribe "Write", and to the witnesses "Sign", so that his mind can be settled.

ו מִי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּתֵּק, וּשְׁאָלוּהוּ אִם רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּכְתְּבוּ גֵּט לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהִרְכִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, יִתְבָּאֵר בַּסִימָן שֶׁאַחַר זֶה:

6 One who is mute, and they ask him if he wants them to write a bill of divorce for his wife, and he bows his head, that will be explained in the next siman.

ז אָמַר לַעֲשָׂרָה: כִּתְבוּ גֵּט לְאִשְׁתִּי, אֶחָד כּוֹתֵב בִּשְׁבִיל כֻּלָּם. וְאִם אָמַר: כֻּלְּכֶם כְּתֹבוּ, אֶחָד כּוֹתֵב בְּמַעֲמַד כֻּלָּם:

7 If he says to ten people, "Write a bill of divorce for my wife," one can write it for all of them. If he says, "All of you write," one of them writes it as a representative of all of them.

ח אָמַר לַעֲשָׂרָה: כִּתְבוּ וְחִתְמוּ וּתְנוּ גֵּט לְאִשְׁתִּי, אֶחָד כּוֹתֵב וּשְׁנַיִם חוֹתְמִים וְאֶחָד נוֹתֵן:

8 If he says to ten people, "Write and sign and give a bill of divorce to my wife," one writes and two sign and one gives.

ט אָמַר: כֻּלְּכֶם חֲתֹמוּ, אוֹ שֶׁמְּנָאָם, בֵּין שֶׁמָּנָה כֻּלָּם בֵין שֶׁמָּנָה מִקְצָתָם, וְאָמַר לָהֶם: חִתְמוּ, הֲרֵי זֶה כְּאוֹמֵר כֻּלְּכֶם חִתְמוּ, וְכֻלָּם צְרִיכִים לַחְתֹּם בּוֹ; וּשְׁנַיִם שֶׁחוֹתְמִים בּוֹ תְּחִלָּה הֵם מִשּׁוּם עֵדִים, וְצָרִיךְ שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא שׁוּם אֶחָד מֵהֶם פָּסוּל, וְהָאֲחֵרִים מִשּׁוּם תְּנַאי; לְפִיכָךְ, אִם הָיוּ הַשְּׁאָר פְּסוּלִים, אוֹ שֶׁחָתְמוּ זֶה הַיּוֹם וְזֶה לְמָחָר אוֹ אַחַר כַּמָּה יָמִים, כָּשֵׁר, וְהוּא שֶׁיַּחְתְּמוּ כָּל אֶחָד בִּפְנֵי כֻּלָּם; וַאֲפִלּוּ חָתְמוּ הַשְּׁאָר אַחַר נְתִינַת הַגֵּט, וַאֲפִלּוּ אַחַר שֶׁנִּשֵׂאת (הָרַ"ן פֶּרֶק קַמָּא דְּגִטִּין), כָּשֵׁר; וְאִם מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶם קֹדֶם הַחֲתִימָה, הֲרֵי הַגֵּט בָּטֵל וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן בְּסָמוּךְ:

9 If he says, "All of you sign," or he assigns them, whether he assigns all of them or assigns some of them, and he says to them, "Sign it," it is as if he said to all of them to sign it, so all of them need to sign it. Two sign it first as the witnesses, and neither of them can be invalid [as witnesses on the bill of divorce], and the others [sign] as the condition. Therefore, if the rest of them are invalid, or one signs today and another signs tomorrow or after a few days, it is kosher, as long as each signs in front of the rest. Even if the rest sign after the giving of the bill of divorce, Rema: and even after she remarries (Ran First Perek of Gittin),, it is kosher. And if one of them dies before he signs it, the bill of divorce is void Rema: And see further down coming up.

י וְאִם אָמַר: כֻּלְּכֶם חִתְמוּ מִשּׁוּם עֵדִים, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּן כְּשֵׁרִים וְשֶׁיַּחְתְּמוּ כֻּלָּם בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אָמַר סְתָם: כֻּלְּכֶם חִתְמוּ, דִּינוֹ כִּמְפָרֵשׁ וְאוֹמֵר: כֻּלְּכֶם חִתְמוּ מִשּׁוּם עֵדִים, וְנִרְאֶה לִי דְּיֵשׁ לְהַחֲמִיר כִּסְבָרָא זוֹ:

10 If he says, "All of you sign as witnesses," they all must be kosher and they all must sign that day. Some say even if he says plainly, "All of you sign," the law is like he said it explicitly saying, "All of you sign as witnesses." Rema: And it seems to me that we should be stringent like this opinion.

יא תִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁהָאוֹמֵר לְרַבִּים לִכְתֹּב גֵּט אוֹ לַחְתֹּם אוֹ לְהוֹלִיךְ גֵּט לְאִשְׁתּוֹ; אִם לִכְתִיבָה, יֹאמַר לָהֶם: כָּל אֶחָד מִכֶּם יִכְתֹּב גֵּט לְאִשְׁתִּי, וְכֵן לְהוֹלָכָה: כָּל אֶחָד מִכֶּם יוֹלִיךְ; וְאִם לַחֲתִימָה, יֹאמַר לָהֶם: כָּל שְׁנַיִם מִכֶּם יַחְתְּמוּ בְּגֵט זֶה:

11 The rabbis made an ordinance that if one says to many people to write a bill of divorce or to sign it or to bring a bill of divorce to his wife: If for writing, he should say to them, "Each one of you write a bill of divorce for my wife," and similarly for bringing it, "Each of of you bring it," And if it is for signingm he should say to them, "Every two of you sign this bill of divorce."

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