Gemara Clarity

Gittin 19b

גיטין י״ט ע״ב

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Topic

Witnesses who cannot read or sign, documents in other languages, and doubtful cases of a גט

Overview

The גמרא brings a ברייתא supporting רב: witnesses who cannot sign may trace their names through a paper stencil, and witnesses who cannot read may have the document read to them. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל limits these leniencies to גיטין, and רבי אלעזר explains why: so women are not left as עגונות. After two reports of רבא's ruling, the גמרא concludes that the stencil is only for גיטין, but reading aloud is allowed for any document. Stories about רב יהודה, רב נחמן and רב פפא show when a document read by others can be trusted. אמימר rules that a Persian שטר signed by Jewish witnesses can collect even from sold property, once it meets every normal requirement. שמואל rules that a blank paper given as a גט leaves her possibly divorced, since hidden writing may appear, and רב דימי requires the witnesses to read the גט. The amud ends with cases of a supposed גט thrown among barrels and a ספר תורה handed over as a גט, and רב יוסף's discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַב:

It is taught in a ברייתא in accordance with Rav:

עֵדִים שֶׁאֵין יוֹדְעִין לַחְתּוֹם,

Witnesses who do not know how to sign,

מְקָרְעִין לָהֶן נְיָיר חָלָק

one tears a blank paper for them

וּמְמַלְּאִים אֶת הַקְּרָעִים דְּיוֹ.

and they fill in the gaps with ink.

The steps (34)

  1. ProofA ברייתא supports רב: a paper stencil for witnesses who cannot sign
  2. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל limits the leniency to גיטין
  3. ChallengeWho mentioned reading?
  4. ResolutionThe ברייתא is missing a line about witnesses who cannot read
  5. Statementרבי אלעזר: the reason is to prevent עגונות
  6. StatementTwo reports of רבא's ruling
  7. ChallengeHow can the הלכה follow the רבנן when רב כהנא punished this?
  8. ResolutionThe ruling was only about reading
  9. Statementעולא tells רב יהודה he may have documents read to him
  10. StatementThe leniency works only when the readers fear the signer
  11. Statementרב פפא and Persian documents from non-Jewish courts
  12. StatementA Persian document signed by Jewish witnesses can collect from sold property
  13. ChallengeThe witnesses cannot read Persian
  14. ResolutionThe witnesses can read Persian
  15. ChallengeA document must be written so it can't be forged
  16. ResolutionThe paper was treated with gall
  17. ChallengeA document must repeat its main point in the last line
  18. ResolutionThe document does repeat its main point
  19. ChallengeWhat is new? A משנה already allows any language
  20. ResolutionWithout אמימר, we would limit the rule to גיטין
  21. StatementA blank paper given as a divorce document
  22. ChallengeA teaching about a document that was destroyed
  23. ChallengeWriting is needed, but שמואל's paper has none
  24. Resolutionשמואל means a paper tested with colored liquid
  25. ChallengeWriting that appears only now
  26. Resolutionשמואל only said 'we are concerned'
  27. StatementWitnesses must read the גט
  28. ChallengeChallenge from the woman who destroyed her גט
  29. ResolutionHe hid it under his arm after they read it
  30. StatementA גט thrown among barrels, and only a מזוזה was found
  31. ConclusionOnly if one מזוזה was found
  32. StatementA man gives his wife a ספר תורה and calls it her גט
  33. Statementרב יוסף asks what there is to worry about
  34. RejectionRejecting the worry about hidden writing in gall water