Gittin 17a

גיטין י״ז ע״א

Learn Gittin 17a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The Persian lamp story, רבי אמי's two reports of רבי יוחנן on who may deliver a split-testimony גט, a new משנה on writing and signing by day or night, and why a גט must be dated.

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a story. A Persian priest takes away the sages' lamp, and רבה בר בר חנה cries out that he would rather live under Rome than under the Persians. The גמרא asks how that fits with רבי חייא, who taught that God sent the Jews to Babylonia because Roman rule was too hard for them. It answers that רבי חייא spoke of the time before the Persians came to Babylonia, and רבה בר בר חנה spoke of the time after. Then the גמרא returns to the משנה's case of one witness to the writing and two to the signing. רבי אמי, quoting רבי יוחנן, first says this works only when the writing witness delivers the גט. Later he rules that even the signing witnesses may deliver it. When רבי אסי points out the contradiction, רבי אמי calls his second ruling "a peg that will not move." A new משנה follows about a גט written by day or by night, and רבי שמעון explains why he accepts a גט signed the night after it was written. The גמרא then asks why a גט needs a date at all. רבי יוחנן says it is because of a man married to his niece, and ריש לקיש says it is because of the produce of the wife's fields. The amud ends as the גמרא begins to explain why ריש לקיש did not accept רבי יוחנן's reason, and that explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. StatementThe Persian priest takes the lamp, and a cry for Roman rule
2. ChallengeChallenge: רבי חייא says Babylonia is better than Rome
3. ResolutionAnswer: Before and after the Persians came to Babylonia
4. StatementQuoting the משנה: one witness to the writing, two to the signing
5. Statementרבי יוחנן: valid only if the writing witness delivers the גט
6. StatementWhat follows from רבי יוחנן's ruling
7. ChallengeDoes the first clause invalidate even when both deliver?
8. Resolutionרבי אמי accepts: yes, it is invalid
9. StatementAnother time: delivered by the signing witnesses is valid
10. StatementWhat follows from the second ruling
11. QuestionThen the first clause would be valid if both deliver?
12. Responseרבי אמי confirms: yes, valid
13. ChallengeBut you once taught us the opposite
14. ResolutionA peg that will not move: the final ruling
15. StatementNew משנה: Writing and signing a גט by day or by night
16. Statementרבי שמעון's general rule: money documents are invalid, but a גט is an exception
17. QuestionWhy did the חכמים require a date on a גט?
18. Responseרבי יוחנן: Because of his niece
19. Responseריש לקיש: Because of the produce
20. QuestionWhy didn't ריש לקיש agree with רבי יוחנן?