1,777. How Not to Make a Condition

Hilchos Geirushin 8:3

Here’s how not to give a get conditionally: the man shouldn’t tell the scribe, “Write a get for my wife on condition X,” or “Write a get and give it to my wife on condition Y.” He certainly shouldn’t write in the get that the man divorces the woman on condition Z. Here’s what they should do: the man should tell the scribe to write a get, and he should tell the witnesses to sign it. They then write a regular valid get with no mention of any conditions in it. The man then gives his wife the get, telling her that she is divorced on condition X. Alternatively, he can tell his agent to deliver the get contingent on condition Y.

Hilchos Geirushin 8:4

If a get has a condition written in it after the main part was written, the get is valid regardless of whether the condition was added before or after the witnesses’ signatures. If the condition was written before the main part of the get, even if it says “on the following condition,” then any divorce using this get is in doubt. This is because the husband reserves rights in the main body of the get. Similarly, if he expressed a condition verbally before the main part of the get was written, the divorce is in doubt.