1,701. Signing a Get

Hilchos Geirushin 1:15

The Sages instituted that witnesses must sign a get. This was enacted out of concern that a man might divorce his wife in front of two witnesses, who subsequently die, with the result that the woman’s get is nothing more than a scrap of paper because no one can validate it. The Sages therefore instituted that the testimony as to the get’s authenticity should be made a part of it. Even though witnesses signed the get, it must still be delivered to the woman in front of witnesses; these could be the same witnesses who signed the get or two other witnesses. Divorce is ultimately effected by the witnesses to the get being delivered.

Hilchos Geirushin 1:16

Let’s say that two witnesses signed the get but then the husband violated the law by giving it to his wife in private, or it is found that the witnesses to the get’s delivery were invalid. In such a case, divorce is nevertheless effected because the witnesses who signed the get are valid and the get is in the woman’s possession. Some Gaonim, however, declared a get in such circumstances to be invalid.