Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 149

Siman 149

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 הַמְגָרֵשׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְחָזַר וּבְעָלָהּ בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים, אוֹ שֶׁגָּלוּי לַכֹּל שֶׁבָּא עָלֶיהָ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנְשָׂאָהּ (הָרַ"ן פֶּרֶק כָּל הַגֵּט), קֹדֶם שֶׁתִּנָּשֵׂא לְאַחֵר, בֵּין שֶׁגֵּרְשָׁהּ מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִין, הוֹאִיל וְאִשְׁתּוֹ הָיְתָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁהֶחֱזִירָהּ וּלְשֵׁם קִדּוּשִׁין בָּעַל וְלֹא לְשֵׁם זְנוּת. וַאֲפִלּוּ רָאוּ שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ מָעוֹת, שֶׁחֲזָקָה הִיא שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה בְּעִילָתוֹ בְּעִילַת זְנוּת וַהֲרֵי בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ בְּעִילַת מִצְוָה. לְפִיכָךְ, הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת קִדּוּשֵׁי וַדַּאי, וּצְרִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ גֵּט שֵׁנִי:

1 If one divorces his wife, and then engages in sexual relations with her before witnesses --italics: or it is evident to everyone that he engaged in sexual relations with her, like he married her (the Ran in the chapter titled "Every Get"-- before she married another, whether he divorced her from betrothal or marriage, since she was his wife, we assume that he took her back [as his wife] and for the sake of marriage he engaged in relations [with her] and not for prostitution. And even if they saw that he gave her money, for there is an assumption that a person doesn't engage in sexual relations for prostitution, and it's in his capability to make these sexual relations for a commandment [that is, for marriage purposes]. Therefore, this [woman] is definitely married, and requires a second get (that is, divorce document).

ב נִתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ בִּפְנֵי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, וְהָיוּ שְׁנֵי עֵדִים כְּאֶחָד, וְרָאוּ הוּא וְהִיא אֶת הָעֵדִים, אִם הָיְתָה מְגֹרֶשֶׁת מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין, חוֹשְׁשִׁין לָהּ שֶׁמָּא נִבְעֲלָה, וְהֵן הֵן עֵדֵי יִחוּד הֵן הֵן עֵדֵי בִּיאָה. לְפִיכָךְ, הִיא סָפֵק מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת, וּצְרִיכָה גֵּט מִסָפֵק. וְאִם הָיְתָה מְגֹרֶשֶׁת מִן הָאֵרוּסִין, אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין לָהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין לִבּוֹ גַּס בָּהּ. וְאִי חָזֵינָן לְהוּ דְּגַיְסֵי אַהֲדָדֵי, חוֹשְׁשִׁין לָהּ. הַגָּה: אֲבָל אִם נִתְיַחֵד עִם מְשֻׁדֶּכֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּגָס בָּהּ, לֹא חַיְשִׁינָן, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בָּא עָלֶיהָ בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַמְבַּן סִימָן קל"ה):

2 If he was alone with her before two witnesses, and the two witnesses [testified] as one, and he and she saw the witnesses, if she were divorced from marriage, we are concerned that they had sex, and the witnesses of their being alone are witnesses that they had sex. Therefore, there is doubt as to whether this constitutes a marriage, and she requires a bill of divorce out of uncertainty. If she had been divorced from betrothal, we are not concerned about her, for he does not desire her. If we see that they do desire each other, we are concerned about her. Rema: If he was alone with his match, even though he desires her, we are not concerned, unless he had sex with her before witnesses (Responsa of the Ramba"n #135).

ג מִי שֶׁשָּׁלַח גֵּט לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בִּטְּלוֹ, וְהָלַךְ וְנִתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְבָּרֵר שֶׁכְּבָר הִגִּיעַ הַגֵּט לְיָדָהּ קֹדֶם בִּטּוּלוֹ, אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ גֵּט שֵׁנִי, דְּוַדַּאי לֹא בָּעַל לְשֵׁם קִדּוּשִׁין, כִּי הָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁהַגֵּט הָיָה בָּטֵל, וְלֹא בָּעַל אֶלָּא עַל דַּעַת קִדּוּשִׁין הָרִאשׁוֹנִים:

3 One who sent a bill of divorce, and nullified it afterward, and went and was alone with her, and afterward to became clear that she already received the bill of divorce before his nullification, she does not require a second bill of divorce from him, for he certainly would not have had sex with her for the purposes of betrothal, for he believed that the bill of divorce had been nullified, and he only had sex with her by virtue of the original betrothal.

ד מִי שֶׁגֵּרַשׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְנִתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ, וְקֹדֶם שֶׁגֵּרְשָׁהּ שֵׁנִית לְקָחָהּ אֶחָד לְשֵׁם פִּילֶגֶשׁ, אֲסוּרָה לִשְׁנֵיהֶם וּצְרִיכָה גֵּט מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם:

4 One who divorces his wife and secludes himself with her, and before he divorces her a second time [out of doubt whether the seclusion constituted marriage], another man took her as a concubine, she is forbidden from both of them and requires a bill of divorce from both of them.

ה לֹא אָמְרוּ חֲזָקָה זוֹ דְּאֵין אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה בְּעִילָתוֹ בְּעִילַת זְנוּת, אֶלָּא בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁגֵּרְשָׁהּ אוֹ בִּמְקַדֵּשׁ עַל תְּנַאי וּבָעַל סְתָם, שֶׁהֲרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ הִיא וּבְאִשְׁתּוֹ הוּא שֶׁחֶזְקָתוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה בְּעִילַת זְנוּת עַד שֶׁיְּפָרֵשׁ שֶׁהִיא בְּעִילַת זְנוּת אוֹ יְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁעַל תְּנַאי הוּא בּוֹעֵל; אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הַנָּשִׁים בַּחֲזָקָה שֶׁבָּעַל לְשֵׁם זְנוּת, עַד שֶׁיְּפָרֵשׁ שֶׁבָּעַל לְשֵׁם קִדּוּשִׁין:

5 They only stated this presumption that a man does not intend sexual intercourse for licentious purposes regarding his wife whom he divorced or one who betrothed on condition and subsequently had intercourse without restating the condition, for she is his wife and regarding his wife it is presumed that he is not having licentious intercourse unless he states explicitly that it is licentious intercourse or he states explicitly that he is having sex on condition. But all other women it is presumed that he has sex with them licentiously until he states explicitly that he had sex with them for the sake of betrothal.

ו וְכֵן אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁהֵמִירוּ בְּאֹנֶס הַגְּזֵרוֹת, וְנִשְּׂאוּ זֶה לָזֶה בְּחֻקּוֹת הַכּוּתִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּתְיַחֲדִים זֶה עִם זֶה בְּכָל יוֹם לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּל, אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין לָהֶם מִשּׁוּם קִדּוּשִׁין וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל סִימָן כ"ו:

6 Likewise, a man or woman who converted [to another religion] under the duress of the decrees, and married each other under non-Jewish law, even though they are secluded with each other daily in front of everyone, one needn't be concerned that they have done formal betrothal. (And see above ch. 26.)

ז נִתְיַחֵד עִם אִשְׁתּוֹ אַחַר שֶׁאָמַר לִכְתֹּב וְלַחְתֹּם גֵּט וְלִתְּנוֹ לָהּ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ לֹא יִכְתְּבוּ. וְאִם כָּתְבוּ וְנָתְנוּ לָהּ אַחַר שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק מְגֹרֶשֶׁת:

7 Someone who is secluded with his wife after he instructed a divorce document to be written, signed, and delivered to her, they should not write [the divorce document]. And if they wrote and gave it to her after he was secluded with her, she is a doubtful divorcee.

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