Gittin 81a

גיטין פ״א ע״א

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Topic

A גט that was written but not given, and rumors about it; earlier versus later generations; and a divorced woman who spent the night with her ex-husband at an inn

Overview

This עמוד opens with the last words of an answer from the previous discussion. A new משנה follows. בית שמאי say that just writing a גט, even if he changes his mind, makes the wife unfit for a כהן. בית הלל say that even a conditional גט whose condition failed does not. שמואל rules about a rumor that a כהן 'wrote a גט': she must leave, but the matter needs investigation. The investigation is whether people there use 'writing' to mean 'giving'. The גמרא then reads 'she must leave' as referring to a second husband, so that רב אשי's rule about rumors after marriage is not broken. People will not think badly of the first husband's children, because they will assume he divorced her right before he died. Next comes a teaching that the later generations are not like the earlier ones. בית שמאי were strict about כהונה, while רבי דוסא was lenient with a captive woman. Earlier generations made sure their produce was obligated in מעשר, while later ones used routes that avoided it. Here רבי ינאי and רבי יוחנן argue about whether only the house, or even a courtyard, makes produce obligated. A final משנה asks whether a divorced woman who spent the night with her ex-husband at an inn needs a second גט. The גמרא begins explaining it with רבי יוחנן's statement, which continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ResolutionFinishing the previous answer: the right of a future second husband
2. StatementThe משנה: does writing a גט disqualify a wife from כהונה?
3. QuestionA question sent to שמואל about a rumor that a כהן wrote a גט
4. Responseשמואל: she must leave, but it needs investigation
5. QuestionWhat investigation? Perhaps whether a rumor can be cancelled
6. RejectionRejected: in נהרדעא a rumor is never cancelled
7. ResolutionThe real investigation: do people call 'giving' a גט 'writing'?
8. ChallengeWhy does it matter what people call 'giving'?
9. ResolutionIf 'writing' can mean 'giving,' the rumor becomes worrying
10. ChallengeHow can she leave, if we ignore rumors after marriage?
11. Resolution'She must leave' refers to a second husband
12. ChallengeWon't this ruin the first husband's children?
13. ResolutionPeople will assume he divorced her right before he died
14. StatementLater generations are not like earlier generations
15. StatementWho the earlier and later generations are
16. Statementרבי דוסא's reason for being lenient with a captive woman
17. StatementEarlier generations tried to obligate their produce in tithes, later ones tried to avoid it
18. StatementProduce becomes obligated only when it comes in through the front of the house
19. Statementרבי יוחנן: even a courtyard makes produce obligated
20. StatementNew משנה: a divorced woman who spent the night with her ex-husband at an inn
21. StatementThe argument only applies after full marriage, not after engagement
22. StatementThe argument is about a case where she was seen having relations