Gittin 29b

גיטין כ״ט ע״ב

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Topic

Chains of agents for a גט: changing the husband's instructions, the sick agent who appoints another through בית דין, and agents who cannot finish the job

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a case. A husband told his agent to take an item from his wife and then give her the גט, but the agent reversed the order. רבי יוחנן rules the גט invalid even from the first agent, and ריש לקיש rules it valid even from the agent's agent. A new משנה teaches that an agent bringing a גט from overseas who becomes sick appoints another agent in בית דין, and the final agent only says "I am an agent of בית דין." From the words "final" and "agent of בית דין," the גמרא learns that a chain of agents is allowed and that each appointment must be made in בית דין. רבה says that in ארץ ישראל an agent can make several agents, and מר בר רב אשי rejects his father's view that the first agent's death cancels them all, since every agent acts on the husband's power. Two stories follow. In one, רב ספרא objects that an agent who was only sent to pass the גט on to אבא בר מניומי cannot transfer it. In the other, רבא lets an agent who was told to wait thirty days, and was then held back by circumstances, hand the גט over to his court. רבא defends that ruling against the worry that the husband may have made up with his wife, because she turned out to be only an ארוסה. The amud ends as רבא introduces a new question, which comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. StatementThe agent reverses the husband's order
2. Statementרבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש disagree about the agent and his agent
3. StatementThe sick agent appoints another agent in court
4. StatementThe final agent only says he is the court's agent
5. QuestionCan an agent's agent appoint yet another agent?
6. ResponseThe word "final" proves there can be more agents
7. QuestionMust that appointment be made in court?
8. Response"Agent of the court" proves it must be in court
9. QuestionSecond version: the חכמים ask only about בית דין
10. Questionאבימי suggests a more basic question
11. ResponseThe חכמים: the basic question is already settled by the משנה
12. ResponseThe בית דין question is also settled by the משנה
13. Statementרבה: in ארץ ישראל an agent can make many agents
14. Statementרב אשי: if the first agent dies, the whole chain is cancelled
15. Rejectionמר בר רב אשי: all agents depend only on the husband
16. StatementThe agent cannot find אבא בר מניומי
17. StatementThe three sages tell the agent to pass his role to them
18. Challengeרב ספרא objects that this agent cannot divorce
19. Statementרבא praises רב ספרא's win
20. Rejectionרב אשי asks what the win was
21. StatementSecond version: רבא says the win was a mistake
22. Rejectionרב אשי defends רב ספרא
23. StatementA delayed גט and an agent who is held back
24. Statementרבא lets the agent hand the mission to the court
25. ChallengeThe rabbis object that this agent cannot divorce yet
26. ResolutionFuture power counts as power now
27. ChallengeA new worry: the husband may have made up with his wife
28. ProofQuoting the משנה about a conditional גט for twelve months
29. ProofThat משנה needed a special answer to remove the worry
30. Resolutionרבא's ruling is saved because the woman was only betrothed
31. Questionרבא introduces a question that is truly open