Gittin 23b

גיטין כ״ג ע״ב

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Topic

An עבד as a שליח for a גט or גט שחרור, and which women are believed to bring a גט

Overview

The גמרא infers that an עבד is fit to bring a גט. רבי יוחנן rules that an עבד cannot be a שליח to receive a גט for a woman, because גיטין וקידושין do not apply to him. רבי אלעזר challenges this reason from the laws of תרומה, where 'גם אתם' seems to require every שליח to be a Jew. The school of רבי ינאי answers that a שליח only needs to be a בן ברית, which an עבד is. A second report of רבי יוחנן adds a separate rule: an עבד may receive a גט שחרור for a fellow slave from a different master, but not from their shared master. The case of a pregnant שפחה whose unborn child is freed seems to contradict this rule. It is explained through רבי's view and the idea that an unborn baby is part of its mother. Then a new משנה teaches that relatives who are not believed about a husband's death are believed to bring the woman's גט, because the writing proves it. רב יוסף and אביי argue over how to reconcile this with a ברייתא, and a ברייתא of רבי עקיבא supports אביי.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. StatementBy inference, a slave is fit
2. StatementA slave cannot receive a divorce for a woman
3. ChallengeWould a slave be fit in a matter that does apply to him?
4. ProofProof from a gentile separating terumah
5. ChallengeYour agents must be Jews like you
6. ResolutionAgents must be members of the covenant, not necessarily Jews
7. StatementA second version of רבי יוחנן's ruling, with a puzzling add-on
8. QuestionWhat does the pregnant maidservant line have to do with this?
9. Responseרבי יוחנן actually made two separate rulings
10. ChallengeThe pregnant maidservant case seems to contradict the second ruling
11. ResolutionTwo great sages already explained that case
12. ResolutionThe pregnant maidservant teaching follows רבי
13. ResolutionWhy רבי holds this: the baby is part of the mother
14. StatementThe משנה: some relatives are believed to bring a woman's divorce document
15. QuestionWhat is the difference between divorce and death?
16. ResponseThe written document proves it
17. StatementA woman may bring her own divorce document
18. ChallengeA teaching says these women are not believed to bring the divorce document
19. Resolutionרב יוסף: Israel versus outside Israel
20. Resolutionרב יוסף explains why the location matters
21. Rejectionאביי argues the reasoning should be reversed
22. ProofA ברייתא supports אביי