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Gittin 21b

גיטין כ״א ע״ב

Learn Gittin 21b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Gittin 21b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What a גט may be written on: a cow's horn, living things and food, things attached to the ground, and a perforated pot

Overview

The גמרא first asks why a husband who wrote a גט on a cow's horn can't just cut the horn off and give it. It answers from the פסוק "וכתב... ונתן": a גט may need only writing and giving, with no cutting in between. It then brings a ברייתא as the source for רבי יוסי הגלילי's rule that a גט may not be written on something alive or on food. The רבנן read the word "ספר" as being about the גט's content instead. The גמרא then shows how each side learns the rules that a גט must be written (not money) and must make a complete break. A new משנה follows: a גט should not be written on something attached to the ground, but after the fact it can be valid if it was detached in time. The same משנה brings a dispute about erased paper and unfinished leather. שמואל, רבי אושעיא and רבי יוחנן explain the משנה as a case where the תורף was written after detaching, following רבי אלעזר. ריש לקיש explains it as being about the witnesses' signing, following רבי מאיר. Finally, a גט on the clay of a perforated pot is valid, and אביי and רבא argue about a גט on a leaf growing in such a pot, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לָא אֶפְשָׁר לְמִקְצְיַיהּ,

It is not possible to cut it off,

אֶלָּא קֶרֶן שֶׁל פָּרָה –

but a cow's horn –

לִיקְצְיַיהּ וְלִיתְּבַהּ לָהּ!

let him cut it off and give it to her!

אָמַר קְרָא: ״וְכָתַב״ – ״וְנָתַן לַהּ״,

The verse states: "And he writes" – "and gives it to her,"

The steps (22)

  1. ChallengeWhy not cut off the cow's horn?
  2. ResolutionA גט may need only writing and giving
  3. QuestionWhat is רבי יוסי הגלילי's reason?
  4. ResponseThe ברייתא: like a ספר, not alive and not food
  5. ResolutionThe רבנן: ספר means the content, not the material
  6. QuestionWhat do the רבנן learn from the word וכתב?
  7. ResponseA woman is divorced only by writing, not by money
  8. Responseרבי יוסי הגלילי learns 'writing, not money' from ספר כריתות
  9. ResponseThe רבנן use ספר כריתות to require a full break
  10. Responseרבי יוסי הגלילי learns the full-break rule from the longer word
  11. ResponseThe רבנן do not learn from the longer word כריתות
  12. Statementמשנה: Writing a גט on something attached to the ground
  13. Statementמשנה: Erased paper and unfinished leather
  14. ChallengeThe משנה seems to contradict itself
  15. Resolutionשמואל: He left a blank space for the key part
  16. StatementTwo more Sages agree with שמואל's answer
  17. ResolutionThis answer follows רבי אלעזר, so the משנה is read with טופס and תורף
  18. Resolutionריש לקיש: the משנה means signing, following רבי מאיר
  19. Resolutionריש לקיש's reading of the whole משנה
  20. StatementA גט written on the clay of a perforated pot is valid
  21. Statementאביי and רבא disagree about a leaf in a perforated pot
  22. StatementStarting to explain אביי's view