Gittin - Daf 15
- A shaliach who testifies about half of the writing or signing
The second Perek begins: המביא גט ממדינת הים – One who brings a get from מדינת הים, ואמר בפני נכתב אבל לא בפני נחתם – and says, “It was written before me,” but did not say, ”It was signed before me,” or the reverse, or בפני נכתב כולו ובפני נחתם חציו – “All of it was written before me, but only half was signed before me” (meaning, one of the two signatures), or he saw the entire signing but only half the writing, in all of the above cases, the get is invalid, meaning it is not yet validated. The Gemara clarifies that witnessing the first line of the get being written is sufficient, and the Mishnah means the shaliach only saw the second half being written. The Mishnah continues that if one witness testifies about the writing, and another about the signing, it is also invalid. If two witnesses testify to the writing and one to the signing, the Tanna Kamma says it is invalid and Rebbe Yehudah says it is valid. If there is one witness to the writing and two to the signing, all agree it is valid.
- If the shaliach testifies that he is the second signature, the get is pasul
The Mishnah taught that if the shaliach only testifies about one signature, it is pasul. Rav Chisda added: ואפילו שנים מעידים על חתימת יד שני פסול – Even if two testify about the second signature, it is pasul. Rava objected that since if the shaliach, a single witness, had testified about the second signature, he would be believed, it is impossible that two witnesses would not be sufficient. Rava suggested his own additional novelty, but it is rejected by Rav Ashi. Finally, Rav Ashi offers another novelty: אפילו אומר אני הוא עד שני פסול – Even if [the shaliach] says, “I am the second witness signed on the get,” it is pasul. Although ordinarily a single witness can confirm his own signature, and a shaliach is believed to confirm a signature he saw, these two cannot be combined, rather: או כולו בקיום הגט או כולו בתקנת חכמים - It must be validated either entirely through a confirmation of the get (with the signatures confirmed by two witnesses, or the signers themselves), or entirely through the Sages’ decree (of a shaliach testifying to both signatures).
- Can hands be washed half at a time?
Ilfa asked: ןידים טהורות לחצאין או אין טהורות לחצאי – Can hands become tahor through washing by halves, or can they not become tahor by halves? The Gemara clarifies: If two people washed with a single revi’is, a Mishnah teaches that both people hands become tahor. If he washed each hand separately, this, too, is valid. If Ilfa’s question was in a case דקא משי פלגא פלגא דידיה – that he washed half of each hand separately (drying the first half before washing the second half), Rebbe Yannai’s academy taught that such washing is not valid. After the Gemara proves that even if the first half was still טופח – moist enough to moisten what it touches, it would not be considered a joined washing, it ultimately explains that Ilfa discussed a case where the first half was still טופח להטפיח - moist enough to moisten something it touches to the point that it can in turn moisten something else.
