Foreign Bills of Divorce

m. Gittin 1:1

70–220

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The opening paragraph of m. Gittin discusses the need to verify the legitimacy of bills of divorce produced abroad. This passage is concerned that bills of divorce composed in foreign places may not have been produced according to the proper rabbinic standards or that a bill of divorce produced remotely may be a forgery. While the discussion of bills of divorce produced abroad seems like an odd place to begin a tractate on divorce, it does establish certain principles, including the need for a bill of divorce to be signed by witnesses. This passage also notes the need to establish a proper chain of custody in order for such a legal document to be effective.

One who brings a get from abroad [to the land of Israel] must declare, “In my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed.” Rabban Gamaliel says: Even one who brings it from Rekem or from Heger.¹ R. Eliezer says: Even one who brings it from Kefar Ludim to Lud.² The sages, however, say: The declaration “In my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed” is required only from one who brings a get from abroad or who takes it there. One who brings [a get] from one province to another province in foreign lands is also required to declare, “In my presence it was written, and in my presence it was signed.” Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says: Even from one hegemony to another hegemony.³

Adapted from the translation of Joshua Kulp.

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Notes

[Places on the eastern border of the land of Israel.—Ed.]

[Kefar Ludim and Lud were adjacent to each other, but Kefar Ludim lay outside the land of Israel, and Lud lay inside.—Ed.]

[Places within the Roman Empire ruled by different governors.—Ed.]

Credits

m. Gittin 1:1, adapted from Mishnah Yomit, trans. Joshua Kulp, www.sefaria.org. Originally from https://learn.conservativeyeshiva.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.