Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 135

Siman 135

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 הָעֵדִים שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים הַגֵּט לִפְנֵיהֶם צְרִיכִים לִקְרוֹתוֹ קֹדֶם נְתִינָה. וְטוֹב לִקְרוֹתוֹ גַּם לְאַחַר נְתִינָה; וְאִם לֹא קְרָאוּהוּ אֶלָּא לְאַחַר נְתִינָה בִּלְבַד, מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. הַגָּה: וְכֵן אִם יָעִידוּ בְּטוֹב שֶׁזֶּהוּ גִּטָּהּ (בְּסֵדֶר הַגֵּט). וּלְכַתְּחִלָּה אָנוּ נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁהֶחָכָם הַמְסַדֵּר הַגֵּט קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ תְּחִלָּה וְסוֹף עִם הָעֵדִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ שׁוֹאֵל לַסוֹפֵר אִם זֶהוּ הַגֵּט שֶׁכָּתַב לִשְׁמוֹ וְלִשְׁמָהּ וּלְשֵׁם גֵּרוּשִׁין, וְאַחַר כָּךְ שׁוֹאֵל לְכָל אֶחָד מֵהָעֵדִים אִם מַכִּיר חֲתִימָתוֹ וַחֲתִימַת חֲבֵרוֹ, וְאִם חָתְמוּ זֶה בִּפְנֵי זֶה (כ"ז מ"כ בְּקֻנְטְרֵס וּבְסֵדֶר גִּטִּין):

1 Witnesses give the divorce document in front of them (the couple)need to read it before giving it. Its goof to read it again after you give it. If you don't read it then just give it, and they are divorced. Ramah says so if they testify in that this was a proper ceremony of presenting the divorce document. In the quintessential case we follow the custom that a wise man presents the divorce document and reads it to them in the beginning and in the end with the witnesses. Afterward ask the scribe if the divorce document that he wrote and the names of the couple involved. After that ask one witness if he can sign his name and his friends name.

ב קְרָאוּהוּ וּנְתָנוּהוּ לַבַּעַל אוֹ לִשְׁלוּחוֹ, וְהִכְנִיסוֹ לְבֵית יָדוֹ וּנְתָנוֹ לָהּ, צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹתוֹ פַּעַם שֵׁנִית קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּתְּנֵהוּ לָהּ. וְאִם לֹא קְרָאוּהוּ, וּנְתָנוֹ לָהּ וּזְרָקַתּוֹ לַיָּם אוֹ לָאֵשׁ, הֲרֵי זוֹ מְגֹרֶשֶׁת; הוֹאִיל וּקְרָאוּהוּ תְּחִלָּה אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין לוֹ שֶׁהֶחֱלִיפוֹ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הַבַּעַל: שְׁטָר אַחֵר הָיָה וְלֹא הָיָה הַגֵּט שֶׁקְּרָאתֶם, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן, וַהֲרֵי הִיא מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. וְאִם הַגֵּט בְּיָדוֹ וּמַרְאֶה אוֹתוֹ, נֶאֱמָן, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא נִשֵּׂאת:

2 Read it and give it to the owner or the messenger (it being the divorce document). He enter to his house and gives it to her. If its not read, give it to her and throw in to water or fire. Behold now she is divorced. Since it is read at the beginning there is no concern that is was switched. There is more, rather even the owner says: another document is read instead of the divorce document, it doesn't matter and behold she is divorced. And if the divorce document is handed and seen by him, any time is fine to deliver it.

ג הֲרֵי שֶׁלֹּא קָרְאוּ הַגֵּט תְּחִלָּה, וּנְתָנוֹ לָהּ בִּפְנֵיהֶם וּזְרָקַתּוּ לָאוּר אוֹ לַיָּם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַבַּעַל אוֹמֵר: גֵּט כָּשֵׁר הָיָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. הַגָּה: וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם נִשֵּׂאת, תֵּצֵא (תּוֹסָפוֹת בְּלָשׁוֹן אַחֵר, וְכ"כ הַב"י בְּשֵׁם רַשְׁבָּ"א וְר"י ח"ה). אֲבָל אִם הַגֵּט עֲדַיִן יוֹצֵא מִתַּחַת יָדָהּ, אִם נִשֵּׂאת לֹא תֵּצֵא, אֲבָל לֹא תִּנָּשֵׂא בְּגֵט זֶה מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא קָרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ תֵּכֶף אַחַר הַנְּתִינָה (כֵּן מַשְׁמַע מֵר' יְרוּחָם הַנַּ"ל וּדְלָא כַּב"י); וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִין:

3 Behold, [if] they didn't originally read the divorce document, and he gave it to her in front of them (the witnesses) and he threw it into a fire or the sea, even though the husband says, "It was a valid divorce document," behold this is a doubtful divorce. Ram"a: And even if she [re]marries, she goes out (Tosfot in the other version, and such does the Beit Yosef write in the name of the Rashb"a and R"i). But if the divorce document still comes out from under her hands, if she [re]marries, she does not go out, but she shouldn't [re]marry with this divorce document since they didn't read it immediately after the giving [of it] (so is it implied from Rabbeinu Yerucham mentioned earlier and not like the Beit Yosef); and some argue.

ד נָתַן לָהּ נְיָר חָלָק וְאָמַר לָהּ: הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ, אִם לֹא בָּדְקוּ הַנְּיָר בְּמֵי נָרָא לִרְאוֹת אִם הָיָה שָׁם דָּבָר כָּתוּב בּוֹ, אוֹ אִם יִבְדְּקוּ וְתִפְלֹט הַכְּתִיבָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. וְאִם יִבְדְּקוּהוּ וְלֹא תִּפְלֹט הַכְּתִיבָה, אֵין כָּאן חֲשַׁשׁ גֵּרוּשִׁין:

4 If he gave her a smooth [i.e. blank] paper and said, "This is your bill of divorce," if they did not test it with "nara" water to see if something had been written on it, or if they did test it and the writing appeared, there is doubt as to whether the woman is divorced. If they tested it and no writing appeared, there is no concern of divorce.

ה זָרַק לָהּ הַגֵּט לַחֲצֵרָהּ לְבֵין הֶחָבִיּוֹת, בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים, וּבִקְּשׁוּ וּמָצְאוּ מְזוּזָה אוֹ שְׁטָר אַחֵר, אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין (לָהּ), שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁנִּמְצָא הוּא שֶׁזָּרַק. וְאִם נִמְצְאוּ ב' אוֹ ג' מְזוּזוֹת אוֹ שְׁטָרוֹת, חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא גֵּט שֶׁזָּרַק אֲכָלוּהוּ עַכְבָּרִים, וַהֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, כְּשֶׁלֹּא קְרָאוּהוּ. אֲבָל אִם לְאַחַר שֶׁקְּרָאוּהוּ שֶׁהָיָה גֵּט חָזַר הַבַּעַל וּלְקָחוֹ מִיָּדָם וּזְרָקוֹ [לַחֲצֵרָהּ] לְבֵין הֶחָבִיּוֹת, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא נִמְצָא אֶלָּא מְזוּזָה אַחַת אוֹ שְׁטָר אֶחָד, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת:

5 If he threw a document into her courtyard between the barrels, in front of witnesses, and they searched and found a mezuzah or other document, we are not concerned for her, for that which they found is what he threw. If they found two or three mezuzot or other documents, we are concerned that perhaps he threw a document of divorce and it was eaten by rodents, and there is doubt as to whether she is divorced. When does this apply? When they did not call out about it. However, if after they called out that it was a bill of divorce the husband took it from their hands and threw it to her courtyard between the barrels, even if they only found but one mezuzah or document, there is doubt as to whether she is divorced.

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