Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 145

Siman 145

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 הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ אִם מַתִּי, אוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ אִם מַתִּי מֵחֹלִי זֶה, אוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ לְאַחַר מִיתָה, אֵינוֹ גֵּט; וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק.

1 There is a divorce document of somebody dies. Or there is a divorce document for when somebody is sick (probably coma or incapacitated). Or a divorce document for after somebody dies. The document isn't only for divorce, this is generally an accepted idea.

ב הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ מֵהַיּוֹם אִם מַתִּי, אוֹ מֵעַכְשָׁו אִם מַתִּי, הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּט, וּכְשֶׁיָּמוּת תִּהְיֶה מְגֹרֶשֶׁת. וְיוֹתֵר טוֹב שֶׁיֹּאמַר: מֵעַכְשָׁו, מִשֶּׁיֹּאמַר: מֵהַיּוֹם, שֶׁאִם אָמַר: מֵהַיּוֹם, וּמֵת בְּתוֹךְ הַיּוֹם, יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק שֶׁמָּא אֵין דַּעְתּוֹ אֶלָּא מִסוֹף הַיּוֹם, וְאֵין גֵּט לְאַחַר מִיתָה.

2 If, [however, the husband] tells her: "This is your get. If I die, [it is effective retroactively] from the present day," or "...If I die, [it is effective retroactively] from the present time,this divorce document starts the day they die, or right away if they die, its a divorce document. And its better if you say from now (it starts) than to saying today. If you say today and they die in the middle of the day then the document doesn't take into effect until the end of the day, and there is no divorce document after the death.

ג הֲרֵי זוֹ גִּטֵּךְ מֵעַכְשָׁו, אוֹ מֵהַיּוֹם, וּלְאַחַר מִיתָה, וּמֵת, הֲרֵי זֶה סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת, שֶׁמָּא אַחַר שֶׁאָמַר: מֵעַכְשָׁו, חָזַר בּוֹ מִלְּשׁוֹן מֵעַכְשָׁו, וְסָמְכָה דַּעְתּוֹ עַל לְאַחַר מִיתָה.

3 [If a husband] says: "This is your get. If I die, [it is effective retroactively] from the present time - or from the present day - after my death," when [the husband] dies, the status of his wife's divorce is in doubt. [We suspect that] perhaps, after saying "from the present time," he changed his mind and [did not desire that the get become effective] from the present time, and instead take effect after his death. And there is no concept of divorce after a person's death.

ד שְׁכִיב מְרַע שֶׁגֵּרַשׁ סְתָם, בְּלֹא תְּנַאי דְּמֵהַיּוֹם אִם מַתִּי, אֵין אוֹמְרִים סְתָמוֹ כְּפֵרוּשׁוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִים בְּמַתָּנָה, דְּגֵט שָׁאנֵי; וְאִם עָמַד, אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר.

4 A person who is deathly ill and he divorced his wife without the condition of from today if I die, we don't say that this is what he was intending as we say by a gift that intention matters. A bill of divorce is different that if he gave it there is no taking it back.

ה שְׁכִיב מְרַע שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְגָרֵשׁ עַל תְּנַאי אִם יָמוּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּפֹּל לִפְנֵי יָבָם, וְאִם עָמַד לֹא תִּהְיֶה מְגֹרֶשֶׁת, אוֹמֵר לָהּ כְּשֶׁנּוֹתֵן לָהּ הַגֵּט: אִם לֹא מַתִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה גֵּט וְאִם מַתִּי יְהֵא גֵּט מֵעַכְשָׁו וְאִם לֹא מַתִּי לֹא יְהֵא גֵּט, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא הַתְּנַאי כָּפוּל וְהֵן קוֹדֵם לְלָאו, וְלֹא יִפְתַּח פִּיו תְּחִלָּה לְפֻרְעָנוּת, וְאָז יִהְיֶה בָּטֵל מִיָּד כְּשֶׁיַּעֲמֹד, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר: חוֹזְרַנִי בִּי. וְאִם יִרְצֶה שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטֵּל מִיָּד כְּשֶׁיַּעֲמֹד, אֶלָּא עַד זְמַן פְּלוֹנִי, יֹאמַר: אִם לֹא מַתִּי עַד זְמַן פְּלוֹנִי לֹא יִהְיֶה גֵּט וְאִם מַתִּי עַד זְמַן פְּלוֹנִי יְהֵא גֵּט מֵעַכְשָׁו וְאִם לֹא מַתִּי עַד זְמַן פְּלוֹנִי לֹא יְהֵא גֵּט. הַגָּה: וְיֹאמַר לָשׁוֹן זֶה דַּוְקָא: אִם מַתִּי אִם לֹא מַתִּי וְכוּ', וְלֹא יֹאמַר: אִם אָמוּת אִם לֹא אָמוּת, מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים. וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל סִימָן קנ"ד סָעִיף ק' לֹא מַשְׁמָע כָּךְ:

5 A sick man who wants to divorce conditionally in case he dies, so that [his wife] won't fall before a *yavam* [levirate marriage partner], but if he would recover, she won't be divorced, says to her as he gives her the *get* [bill of divorce]: "If I have not died, this shall not be a *get*, and if I have died, this shall be a *get* from now, and if I have not died, this shall not be a get," so that the condition is two-fold, with the positive statement preceding the negative, but not opening his mouth first with troubles. Then, it will be nullified immediately when he recovers, even though he doesn't say "return to me." And if he doesn't want it to be nullified immediately when he recovers, but after X period of time, he should say: "If I have not died by X time, this should not be a *get*, and if I have died by X time, it should be a *get* from now, and if I have not died by X time, it should not be a *get*. Rema: And he should say specifically this formula: "If I have died... if I haven't died... etc.," and he should not say "If I die... if I don't die...," since [the former] is the language of the sages. But see above Siman 154, Sa'if 100, which does not imply thus.

ו הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ מֵהַיּוֹם אִם מַתִּי מֵחֹלִי זֶה, וְנָפַל עָלָיו בַּיִת אוֹ נְשָׁכוֹ נָחָשׁ אוֹ טְרָפוֹ אֲרִי וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, וּמֵת, אֵינוֹ גֵּט. אֲבָל אִם אָמַר: אִם לֹא יַעֲמֹד מֵחֹלִי זֶה, וְנָפַל עָלָיו בַּיִת אוֹ נְשָׁכוֹ נָחָשׁ אוֹ טְרָפוֹ אֲרִי, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת:

6 [If a husband said] "Here is your *get* [bill of divorce] from now if I have died from this illness," and a house fell on him, or a snake bit him, or a lion mauled him, or the like, and he died, it is not a [valid] *get*. But if he said, "... if I don't recover from this illness," and a house fell on him, or a snake bit him, or a lion mauled him, she is doubtfully divorced.

ז הֲרֵי זֶה גִּטֵּךְ מֵעַכְשָׁו אִם מַתִּי מֵחֹלִי זֶה, וְעָמַד וְהָלַךְ בַּשּׁוּק, וְחָלָה וָמֵת; אוֹמְדִין אוֹתוֹ, אִם מֵחֲמַת חֹלִי הָרִאשׁוֹן מֵת, הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּט, אֲפִלּוּ הָלַךְ בְּלֹא מִשְׁעֶנֶת; וְאִם לָאו, אֵינוֹ גֵּט. וְאִם נִתַּק מֵחֹלִי לְחֹלִי וְלֹא עָמַד בַּשּׁוּק, הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּט וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ אֹמֶד:

7 [If a husband said] "Here is your *get* [bill of divorce] from now if I have died from this illness," and he got up and walked in the marketplace, then took ill and died, we evaluate him: If he died as a result of the original illness, this is a [valid] *get*, even if he walked without support, and if not, it's not a [valid] *get*. But if he was plucked from one illness to another illness and never stood in the marketplace, this is a [valid] *get*, and he does not require evaluation.

ח שְׁכִיב מְרַע שֶׁנָּתַן גֵּט וְאָמַר: מֵהַיּוֹם אִם מַתִּי, סְתָם, וְהִבְרִיא, בָּטֵל גִּטּוֹ; וְלֹא אָמְרִינָן לְעוֹלָם קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּת קָאָמַר, אֶלָּא אִם מַתִּי מֵחֹלִי זֶה קָאָמַר, אֲבָל אִם מִתּוֹךְ בֻּרְיוֹ הִתְנָה בְּמֵהַיּוֹם אִם מַתִּי, וַדַּאי כָּל שֶׁמֵּת בְּחַיֶּיהָ קָאָמַר, וְכָל אֵימַת דְּמָאִית הֲרֵי זוֹ מְגֹרֶשֶׁת:

8 A man on his death bed who gave a get and said, "[You are divorced] from today if I die," without additional detail, and he recovered, the get is nullified. We do not interpret his words to mean before he dies [even in the distant future], but he meant to say if I die from this illness. But if he gave the conditional get while healthy, stating, "from today if I die," he certainly meant [to cover any circumstance in which] he dies in her lifetime, and whenever he dies she is divorced.

ט עֵצָה טוֹבָה עַל פִּי גְּדוֹלֵי עוֹלָם לָחוּשׁ לְרַמָּאִין בְּגֵט שְׁכִיב מְרַע, שֶׁיֹּאמַר: אִם מַתִּי מֵעַכְשָׁו וְעַד יוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וְהוּא בִּכְלָל, יְהֵא גֵּט; וְלֹא יֹאמַר: אִם אָמוּת מֵחֹלִי זֶה, שֶׁיְּהֵא הַתְּנַאי תָּלוּי בַּחֹלִי, שֶׁמָּא יָבֹא אָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן וְיִשְׁתַּדֵּל עִם הָרוֹפֵא שֶׁיֹּאמַר שֶׁלֹּא מֵת מֵאוֹתוֹ חֹלִי אֶלָּא מֵחֹלִי אַחֵר שֶׁנֶּעְתַּק אֵלָיו, וְיוֹצִיא לַעַז עַל הַגֵּט. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵין אָנוּ בְּקִיאִין בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, וְלָכֵן אֵין לִסְמֹךְ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה מֵאֻמְדָּנוֹת הָרוֹפְאִים. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דִּלְכַתְּחִלָּה אֵין לְגָרֵשׁ עַל יְדֵי תְּנַאי, רַק יְגָרֵשׁ סְתָם, וּלְקַבֵּל בְּחֵרֶם הַקְּהִלּוֹת אוֹ לִתֵּן מַשְׁכְּנוֹת שֶׁכְּשֶׁיַּעֲמֹד יַחְזְרוּ וְיִשְּׂאוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה (מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק מִי שֶׁאֲחָזוֹ). וּבְכֹהֵן הַמְגָרֵשׁ, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַתְנוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לַחֲזֹר לוֹ, כְּדִלְעֵיל רֵישׁ סִימָן קמ"ג, אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָחוּשׁ לְטֵרוּף דַּעַת הַחוֹלֶה, יֵשׁ לְגָרֵשׁ בִּתְנַאי כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר (סֵדֶר גִּטִּין). אִשָּׁה שֶׁנִּתְגָּרְשָׁה עַל תְּנַאי, וּמֵת הַבַּעַל, אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה לְהִתְאַבֵּל עָלָיו (שָׁם בְּמָרְדְּכַי); אֲבָל אֵין אִסוּר בַּדָּבָר אִם רְצוֹנָהּ לְהַחֲמִיר עַל עַצְמָהּ לִבְכּוֹת עָלָיו וְלָצֵאת אַחַר מִטָּתוֹ:

9 The great leaders of the [Jewish] world gave good advice to suspect for defrauders in regard to the bill of divorce of a shechiv mera [one on his deathbed]. When he says, "If I die, from now until a certain day, inclusive," that is a bill of divorce. But not if he says, "If I die from this sickness," for that is a condition dependent on the sickness, [we do not allow this condition] lest a corrupt man schemes with a doctor to say he did not die from that sicjness from rather he contracted a different sickness, and he casts aspersions on the bill of divorce. Rema: Some say we are not experts nowadays, and therefore we do not rely on the estimations of doctors. And some say that ideally we do not do divorce by way of condition, rather we divorce plainly, and to accept excommunicate communities or [require] the giving of collateral should the case happen that the go back and marry each other (Mordechai Perek Mi Sheachzo). And a divorce kohen, who needs to give conditions, that she should be prohibited to return to him, as earlier in the beginning of Siman 143, or if there is suspicion of mental illness in the sick person, there is what to divorce on condition, in the way that was explained (Seder Gittin). A woman who was divorced on condition, and her husband died, she does not need to be in mourning for him (ibid in the Mordechai). But if she wants to be stringent on herself and cry for him and to follow his deathbed, there's no prohibition to do so.

י שְׁכִיב מְרַע שֶׁנָּתַן גֵּט לְאֶחָד וְאָמַר לוֹ: זְכֵה בְּגֵט זֶה לְאִשְׁתִּי, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּפֹּל לִפְנֵי יָבָם, וּמֵת קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְיָדָהּ, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת, וְחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת:

10 A dying man who gave a divorce document to someone and said to him: "Take possession of this divorce document for my wife, so that she not become obligated in levirate marriage," who died before [the divorce document] made it to her hand, she is a doubtful divorcee, and must undergo halitzah and may not marry the brother.

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