Gittin 79a

גיטין ע״ט ע״א

Learn Gittin 79a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Throwing a גט between a roof and a courtyard: when the air counts as her guarded domain, how domains are divided for a גט, and how גיטין differ from שבת

Overview

The משנה teaches that a גט thrown up to a wife on the roof works once it enters the roof's airspace. If the husband is on the roof and throws it down to her, it works once it leaves the roof, even if it is erased or burned before landing. The גמרא asks how air can count as a guarded place. It answers with a railing (מעקה) or the גט being within three טפחים of the roof for the first case, and with lower walls that stick out past the roof for the second case. Several אמוראים repeat that last answer and explain that even the רבנן, who argue with רבי about objects in the air on שבת, agree here, because a גט only needs to be guarded. רב נחמן limits the erased and burned cases: the writing must be erased on the way down, and the גט must be thrown before the fire started. רב חסדא rules that separate areas count as separate domains for a גט. רבא tries to prove this from the משנה by reading it as one place the husband lent her, but רמי בר חמא shows the proof does not hold. Finally רבא lists ways גיטין differ from שבת: for a גט, what matters is that it is guarded, so a גט on top of a tall reed does not work even though that spot counts as a private domain for שבת.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. Statementמשנה: wife on the roof, husband throws the גט up
2. Statementמשנה: husband on the roof, wife below
3. ChallengeBut the roof's air is not protected
4. ResolutionAnswer: the roof has a railing
5. ResolutionAnother answer: within three handbreadths of the roof
6. ChallengeSame challenge on the second case
7. ResolutionAnswer: the lower walls stick out past the upper ones
8. StatementMore rabbis give the same explanation about the lower walls
9. QuestionDoes this follow only רבי's view about objects in the air?
10. ResponseEven the רבנן agree, because the גט is guarded
11. Statementרבי אסי gives the same explanation in רבי יוחנן's name
12. Questionרבי זירא asks רבי אסי the same question
13. Responseרבי אסי answers that even the רבנן agree
14. StatementErased on the way down, not on the way up
15. StatementBurned only counts if the גט came before the fire
16. StatementSeparate areas are separate domains for a גט
17. QuestionWhat is the source for רב חסדא's rule?
18. Responseרבא points to the משנה about the roof
19. ChallengeIf the roof and courtyard are both hers, why wait for the roof?
20. ChallengeIf the roof and courtyard are both his, the roof should not help
21. ResolutionThe first part of the משנה must mean her roof and his courtyard
22. ChallengeThe last part of the משנה does not fit the same setup
23. ResolutionThe last part of the משנה must mean his roof and her courtyard
24. ChallengeCan the two halves of the משנה be different cases?
25. ProofEverything is his, and he lent her one spot
26. RejectionMaybe the משנה really does describe two different cases
27. Statementרבא's first special rule for a גט: airspace
28. Statementרב חסדא's rule: a basket on a tall reed counts as a private domain
29. StatementFor a גט, what counts is protection, and a tall reed does not protect it