1,733. The Universally-Accepted Text of a Get

Hilchos Geirushin 4:12

The universally-accepted text of a get is: “On day [X] of the week, on day [Y] of the month, in year [Z] from creation – or based on the calendar used for legal documents, according to the date that we use here in [location] – I [husband], son of [husband’s father], of [husband’s city], or by any other names or nicknames by which I, my father, my location or his location might be known, desire of my own free will without any coercion, to dismiss, release and divorce you, [wife], daughter of [wife’s father], of [wife’s city,] or by any other names or nicknames you, your father, your location or his location might be known. You were previously my wife but now I dismiss, release and divorce you so that you have the ability and the right to go marry any man you like. No one will contest this from today on; you are permitted to any man. This document serves as your bill of divorce, a get to dismiss you and a letter to release you from me according to the religion of Moses and Israel.” The witnesses sign below as described in halacha 1:18. They sign [name 1], son of [father 1], witness; [name 2], son of [father 2], witness.

Hilchos Geirushin 4:13

When a get is written according to the aforementioned text, the word v’dan must not be written with a yud, which would render it v’din, implying that there should be a court case between the man and the woman. The word v’iggeres must also not be written with a yud so that it not be misread as meaning “if you commit adultery.” The word limihach may not be written with a yud so that it not be misread as meaning “this is a joke to me.” The words t’havyein and titzavyein (which have three consecutive yuds each) may not be written with only two yuds each so that readers not be misled into thinking that the man is addressing two women and rather than divorcing this one, he is divorcing two others. Similarly, the second vav in the word u’chido should be oversized so that it not resemble a yud, changing the meaning of the word to “in which case,” suggesting that the man is divorcing the woman only conditionally. Likewise, the vavs in the words teruchin and shevukin should be oversized to keep them from resembling yuds, which would mean that the man is telling the woman that she releases and divorces him. Similar caution must be taken in whatever language and alphabet is used to write a get in order to ensure that there’s no possibility of ambiguity.