Gittin 9a

גיטין ט׳ ע״א

Learn Gittin 9a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Splitting one document into a part that works and a part that fails (רב נחמן and רב אשי); who contests a גט; a שליח who cannot say בפני נכתב; and how גיטי נשים and שחרורי עבדים are alike.

Overview

The עמוד opens at the end of רבי שמעון's view that a slave given 'all the property' goes free, which was brought to show that one document can work for one part and fail for another. The גמרא pushes back: רב נחמן ruled like רבי מאיר, not רבי שמעון. But רב נחמן also ruled that a שכיב מרע who wrote all his property to his slave and recovered takes back the property while the slave stays free, which looks like splitting a statement. רב אשי explains that רב נחמן followed רבי מאיר for a different reason: a release document must fully cut off the slave, and holding back property means it does not. Next, the גמרא asks who the 'contesters' of a גט are in the משנה. One person is not enough and two would create a tie, so it must be the husband himself. A new משנה teaches that if the שליח bringing a גט from overseas cannot say בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם, the גט is confirmed through its signing witnesses. רב יוסף explains that the שליח was capable when he delivered it and became a חרש afterward. Finally, a ברייתא begins listing three ways גיטי נשים and שחרורי עבדים are alike, and the third way continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. Proofרבי שמעון: the slave always goes free
2. ChallengeBut the הלכה follows רבי מאיר
3. ChallengeDoes רב נחמן really reject splitting?
4. ProofWhy the property returns but the slave stays free
5. Resolutionרב אשי: the real reason is that the document doesn't fully cut the slave off
6. QuestionHow many people must contest a גט?
7. ChallengeOne contester can't be enough
8. ChallengeTwo contesters create a 'two against two' standoff
9. ResponseThe contester is the husband
10. StatementNew משנה: a גט from overseas without the declaration
11. StatementDivorce documents and slave-freeing documents follow the same rules for delivery
12. QuestionWhat does 'he cannot say' mean?
13. ChallengeIt cannot mean a deaf-mute, who may not be a שליח at all
14. Resolutionרב יוסף: he became a deaf-mute after handing over the גט
15. StatementA ברייתא: three ways the two documents are alike, starting with delivery
16. StatementSecond way: a כותי witness is accepted on these two documents