Gemara Clarity

Gittin 33b

גיטין ל״ג ע״ב

Learn Gittin 33b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Gittin 33b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The dispute between רבי and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל about canceling a גט's agents: the reasons for it, the "כּוּלְּכֶם" question, and how the הלכה is decided.

Overview

This amud continues a ברייתא about a husband who told ten people to write a גט and then canceled in front of only some of them. רבי says the cancellation works, and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל says he must cancel in front of all ten. The first explanation is about testimony: if part of a group is cancelled, is the whole group cancelled? The second explanation is that something done in front of ten needs ten to undo it. The גמרא then asks what רבן שמעון בן גמליאל would say if the husband told them "all of you" must write it. It tries to answer from a ברייתא about two agents, but רב אשי pushes the proof off by saying that ברייתא is about delivery agents. The גמרא then turns to the practical הלכה. Through רבי אבא's two rulings, a story about רבי, and a story about רבי יאשיה of אושא, it concludes that canceling before a בית דין follows רבן שמעון בן גמליאל and the ten-agents case follows רבי. Finally, רב נחמן rules like רבי in both disputes, and the גמרא begins to challenge him from a statement of שמואל, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לֹא בָּטְלָה כּוּלָּהּ;

is not entirely cancelled;

וְאִי אָזְלִי הָנָךְ

and if these others go

כָּתְבִי וְיָהֲבִי –

and write and give it,

לִיכְתְּבוּ וְלִיתְּבוּ;

let them write and give it.

The steps (17)

  1. Responseרבי's reasoning: the other agents are still valid
  2. Responseרבן שמעון בן גמליאל's reasoning: everyone is cancelled, but the rest don't know
  3. ResponseSecond explanation: what is done before ten needs ten to undo
  4. QuestionA new question: what if the husband said "all of you"?
  5. QuestionThe second side: what is done before ten needs ten to undo
  6. ProofProof attempt from a ברייתא about two agents
  7. Rejectionרב אשי: the ברייתא is about delivery witnesses
  8. ProofThe end of the ברייתא supports רב אשי
  9. RejectionMaybe the ברייתא follows רבי יהושע בן קרחה
  10. StatementTwo rulings heard, but which is which was forgotten
  11. ProofA story shows רבי changed his ruling to follow רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
  12. ConclusionSo the 'ten people' dispute follows רבי
  13. Proofרבי יאשיה of אושא also split the הלכה
  14. ProofHiding the scribes shows רבי יאשיה holds like רבן שמעון בן גמליאל on canceling
  15. ConclusionHiding rather than scattering shows he holds like רבי on the ten scribes
  16. Statementרב נחמן rules like רבי in both disputes
  17. ChallengeDoesn't רב נחמן accept the reasoning of ״מה כח בית דין יפה״?