Gittin 15b

גיטין ט״ו ע״ב

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Topic

Mixing two methods: a גט validated partly by the שליח and partly by קיום, combining גידוד and מחיצה, and washing hands in halves

Overview

A שליח who brings a גט from overseas must say 'בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם.' The amud opens with רבא's ruling: if the שליח and another person confirm the second signature, the גט is invalid, so that people will not copy this method for ordinary money documents. רב אשי rejects that reason and says a גט must be validated entirely through regular קיום or entirely through the תקנת חכמים, never a mix. The גמרא reads the משנה of 'בפני נכתב כולו, בפני נחתם חציו' as supporting רבא or רב אשי but not the stricter view of רב חסדא. רב חסדא answers that the משנה uses the style of לא זו אף זו, so the proof falls away. The גמרא then brings related 'halves' cases. For walls on שבת, רב חסדא says a 5-טפח גידוד and a 5-טפח מחיצה do not combine, while מרימר says they do, and the הלכה follows מרימר. Finally, אילפא asks whether hands can become טהור in halves. After rejecting several ways of reading his question, the גמרא limits it to a hand that is still wet, and it begins to challenge that answer from a משנה quoted on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementThe agent plus another person confirming the second signature is invalid
2. ResponseThe reason: people would confuse this with ordinary documents
3. Challengeרב אשי: can adding a second person make it worse?
4. Statementרב אשי: the גט must be validated entirely one way
5. ProofTesting it from the משנה: written fully, signed half
6. ChallengeIt can't mean nobody testifies about the other half
7. ResolutionThe משנה must follow רבא or רב אשי
8. ProofThis excludes רב חסדא's view
9. Challengeרב חסדא points to another 'extra' line in the משנה
10. RejectionThe משנה teaches 'not only this, but also that'
11. StatementAn embankment and a wall do not combine
12. Statementמרימר says they do combine
13. ConclusionThe הלכה: they combine
14. Questionאילפא asks whether hands become pure in halves
15. ChallengeNot two people sharing one רביעית
16. ChallengeNot washing one hand at a time
17. ChallengeA third reading of אילפא's question, and an immediate problem
18. ResolutionThe question is about a hand that is still wet
19. ChallengeWhy should wetness make a difference?