1,796. A Sick Man Who Dies From a Different Cause

Hilchos Geirushin 9:17

If a man says, “This is your get, effective as of today if I die from this illness,” and his house collapses on him, or he’s bitten by a snake, eaten by a lion or dies from some other cause, then divorce is not effected.

Hilchos Geirushin 9:18

Conversely, if the get’s condition is “if I don’t get up from this illness” and his house collapses on him, or he’s bitten by a snake or eaten by a lion, then the divorce is in doubt. If he says, “This is your get, effective as of today if I die from this illness” and he then gets up and goes out to the marketplace, only later to get sick again and die, then we must evaluate the situation. If he died from the original illness, then divorce is effected; if not, then divorce is not effected. If he went from one illness to another without ever getting up and going out in the marketplace in between, then divorce is effected without having to evaluate the situation.