Gittin 6:6-7

Gittin 6:6

Let’s say that a man has been cast into a pit and he calls out that whoever hears his voice should write a get for his wife. In such a case, they should write it and deliver it to her. If a healthy person says to write a get for his wife (but not to deliver it), his intention is to vex her. There was once an incident in which a healthy person said to write a get for his wife. He subsequently climbed onto the roof, fell off and died. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said that if he jumped, then the get is valid (because we assume from his agitated mental state that he meant it but forgot to mention delivering it). If the wind knocked him off, the get is invalid (because he probably didn’t mean it).

Gittin 6:7

If a man told two people to give a get to his wife, or if he told three people to write a get and to deliver it to his wife, then those selfsame people carry it out. If he told three people to give a get to his wife, then they appoint others to write the get because what the husband did was to convene a beis din; this is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Chanina of Ono learned the following law from Rabbi Akiva, when the latter was incarcerated: there is a tradition that if a man instructs three others to give a get to his wife, they may assign the task to others because he appointed them a beis din. Rabbi Yosi said, “We replied to Rabbi Chanina that we also have a tradition, namely that even if one tells the Sanhedrin to give a get to his wife, they must personally learn how to write a get (assuming they do not already possess the skill), write it and deliver it.” If the husband told ten people to write a get for his wife, one of them writes it and two of them sign it. If he said that all of them should write the get, then one of them may write it and all of them must sign it. Therefore, if one of the ten dies before signing it, the get is invalid.