In this daf, we continue our deep dive into the halachos of writing a get, focusing on the Rabbinic ordinances that govern how a scribe may prepare a bill of divorce. The Gemara first addresses an apparent contradiction in the positions of Rabbi Elazar regarding whether a scribe may write the standard formula (the tofes) of a get in advance. We learn how different Tannaim understand Rabbi Elazar's view, and we explore the underlying reasons for these enactments, whether they were established to prevent domestic discord or to protect agunos (deserted wives) who need a get written quickly before a husband travels overseas.
We then move into a beautiful discussion regarding the requirement to write the date on a get. The Gemara analyzes why a date is necessary, contrasting a get given after marriage with one given after betrothal (eirusin). This leads us to examine the classic reasons for dating a get—such as protecting the woman's property rights or preventing cover-ups in cases of adultery—and introduces a fascinating ruling from Ulla regarding a get written for a betrothed woman that is intended for use only after marriage.
קַשְׁיָא דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַדְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר!
The Gemara asks: This is difficult, as there is a contradiction from the statement of Rabbi Elazar in the first clause of our Mishnah against the statement of Rabbi Elazar in the latter clause!
תְּרֵי תַּנָּאֵי וְאַלִּיבָּא דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר.
The Gemara answers: It is a dispute between two Tannaim as to what is the ruling according to Rabbi Elazar.
רַבִּי שַׁבְּתַי אָמַר חִזְקִיָּה: מִשּׁוּם קְטָטָה;
Rabbi Shabbetai said that Chizkiyah said: The ordinance allowing the scribe to write the blank forms in advance was instituted because of quarrel;
וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר הִיא, דְּאָמַר: עֵדֵי חֲתִימָה כָּרְתִי,
and this is in accordance with the view of Rabbi Meir, who said: The signing witnesses effect the divorce, and there is no requirement that the writing of the get be done specifically for her sake,
וּבְדִין הוּא דַּאֲפִילּוּ תּוֹרֶף נָמֵי לִכְתּוֹב;
and by right it is that even the essential part of the get also the scribe should write in advance;
וְזִמְנִין דְּשָׁמְעָה לֵיהּ לְסוֹפֵר דְּקָא כָתֵיב, וְסָבְרָה אִיהוּ קָאָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָוֵה לַהּ קְטָטָה בַּהֲדֵיהּ.
but sometimes a wife might hear the scribe who is writing her name in a get, and she will think that he, her husband, told him to write it, and she will have a quarrel with him. Therefore, the Sages decreed that the essential part may not be written in advance.
רַב חִסְדָּא אָמַר אֲבִימִי: מִשּׁוּם תַּקָּנַת עֲגוּנוֹת;
Rav Chisda said that Avimi said: The ordinance was because of the enactment for deserted wives;
אָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר.
some say it is according to Rabbi Meir, and some say it is according to Rabbi Elazar.
אָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי מֵאִיר – דְּאָמַר: עֵדֵי חֲתִימָה כָּרְתִי, וּבְדִין הוּא דַּאֲפִילּוּ תּוֹרֶף נָמֵי לִכְתּוֹב;
Some say it is according to Rabbi Meir – who said: The signing witnesses effect the divorce, and by right it is that even the essential part also the scribe should write in advance;
וְזִמְנִין דְּהָוֵה לֵיהּ קְטָטָה בַּהֲדַהּ, וְרָתַח עֲלַהּ וְזָרֵיק לֵיהּ נִיהֲלַהּ, וּמְעַגֵּן וּמוֹתֵיב לַהּ.
but sometimes he might have a quarrel with her, and he will become angry with her and throw it to her immediately, and thus leave her deserted and divorced in haste, whereas if he had to wait for a scribe to write it, he would calm down. Therefore, the Sages forbade preparing the essential part in advance.
אָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר – דְּאָמַר: עֵידֵי מְסִירָה כָּרְתִי, וּבְדִין הוּא דַּאֲפִילּוּ טוֹפֶס נָמֵי לָא לִכְתּוֹב;
And some say it is according to Rabbi Elazar – who said: The delivery witnesses effect the divorce, and by right it is that even the blank form also the scribe should not write in advance, as a decree lest he write the essential part;
וְזִמְנִין דְּבָעֵי לְמֵיזַל לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח סָפְרָא, וְשָׁבֵיק לַהּ וְאָזֵיל, וּמְעַגֵּן וּמוֹתֵיב לַהּ.
but sometimes a husband needs to go to a country overseas and he cannot find a scribe to write a get quickly, and he will leave her and go, and thus leave her deserted. Therefore, the Sages permitted writing the blank forms in advance so that a get could be prepared quickly.
וּמְקוֹם הַזְּמַן: קָפָסֵיק וְתָנֵי; לָא שְׁנָא מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין, וְלָא שְׁנָא מִן הָאֵירוּסִין.
The Mishnah teaches that the scribe must leave and the place of the date blank. The Gemara notes: The Tanna categorically teaches this; it makes no difference if the divorce is from marriage, and it makes no difference if it is from betrothal.
בִּשְׁלָמָא מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין; בֵּין לְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם בַּת אֲחוֹתוֹ – אִיכָּא, בֵּין לְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם פֵּירֵי – אִיכָּא;
Granted, in a divorce from marriage, whether according to the one who said the date is written because of the concern of one who marries his sister's daughter, there is a reason, and whether according to the one who said it is because of the produce, there is a reason;
אֶלָּא מִן הָאֵירוּסִין; בִּשְׁלָמָא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם בַּת אֲחוֹתוֹ – אִיכָּא, אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם פֵּירֵי, אֲרוּסָה מִי אִית לַהּ פֵּירֵי?!
but in a divorce from betrothal; granted according to the one who said it is because of his sister's daughter, there is a reason, but according to the one who said it is because of the produce, does a betrothed woman have produce that the husband has a right to, that we should need a date to protect her rights?!
אָמַר רַב עַמְרָם: הָא מִילְּתָא שְׁמַעִית מִינֵּיהּ דְּעוּלָּא דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם תַּקָּנַת וָלָד, וְלָא יָדַעְנָא מַאי נִיהוּ.
Rav Amram said: This matter I heard from Ulla, who said that the date is written because of the benefit of the child, and I did not know what it is.
כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁמְעִיתַהּ לְהָא דְּתַנְיָא: הָאוֹמֵר: ״כִּתְבוּ גֵּט לַאֲרוּסָתִי, לִכְשֶׁאֶכְנְסֶנָּה אֲגָרְשֶׁנָּה״, אֵינוֹ גֵּט.
Once I heard this which is taught in a Braisa: One who says, "Write a get for my betrothed, so that when I marry her I will divorce her with it," it is not a valid get.
וְאָמַר עוּלָּא: מָה טַעַם? גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ: גִּיטָּהּ קוֹדֵם לִבְנָהּ.
And Ulla said: What is the reason? It is a Rabbinic decree lest people say: Her get preceded her son, meaning she was already divorced when she conceived her child, which would make the child a mamzer.
הָכָא נָמֵי – גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ: גִּיטָּהּ קוֹדֵם לִבְנָהּ.
Here too, in the case of a betrothed woman, we require a date as a decree lest they say: Her get preceded her son, if he should marry her and she becomes pregnant before he divorces her.
אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר שֵׁילָא, אָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, אָמַר רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה, אָמַר רַב: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר.
Rabbi Zeira said that Rabbi Abba bar Sheila said that Rav Hamnuna Sava said that Rav Adda bar Ahava said that Rav said: The halacha is in accordance with Rabbi Elazar that a get written on a blank form prepared in advance is invalid.
קָרֵי רַב עֲלֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: טוּבְיָנָא דְּחַכִּימֵי.
Rav proclaimed about Rabbi Elazar: He is the most praised of the Sages, since the halacha is like him.
וַאֲפִילּוּ בִּשְׁאָר שְׁטָרוֹת נָמֵי?!
The Gemara asks: And is it even in other documents also that Rabbi Elazar rules that they are invalid if written on pre-prepared forms?!
וְהָאָמַר רַב פַּפִּי מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא: הַאי אַשַּׁרְתָּא דְּדַיָּינֵי, דְּמִיכַּתְבָה מִקַּמֵּי דְּלִיסָהֲדֵי סָהֲדִי אַחֲתִימַת יְדַיְיהוּ – פְּסוּלָה; אַלְמָא מִיחְזֵי כְּשִׁיקְרָא, הָכָא נָמֵי מִיחְזֵי כְּשִׁיקְרָא!
But did not Rav Pappi say in the name of Rava: This authorization of judges, which was written before the witnesses testified on their signatures, is invalid; because it looks like a lie, here too in other documents it looks like a lie if written in advance!
וְלֵיתַהּ, מִדְּרַב נַחְמָן – דְּאָמַר רַב נַחְמָן, אוֹמֵר הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר: אֲפִילּוּ מְצָאוֹ בְּאַשְׁפָּה, חֲתָמוֹ וּנְתָנוֹ לָהּ – כָּשֵׁר.
The Gemara answers: And this objection is not so, from that of Rav Nachman – as Rav Nachman said: Rabbi Meir used to say: Even if he found a blank form of a get in a dunghill, and he signed it and gave it to her, it is kosher.
וַאֲפִילּוּ רַבָּנַן לָא פְּלִיגִי עֲלֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר אֶלָּא בְּגִיטֵּי נָשִׁים, דְּבָעֵינַן כְּתִיבָה לִשְׁמָהּ, אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר שְׁטָרוֹת – לָא.
And even the Rabbis do not disagree with Rabbi Meir except regarding bills of divorce for women, where we require writing for her sake, but regarding other documents, they do not disagree, and pre-prepared forms are valid.
דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שְׁטָר שֶׁלָּוָה בּוֹ וּפְרָעוֹ – אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר וְלֹוֶה בּוֹ, שֶׁכְּבָר נִמְחַל שִׁעְבּוּדוֹ.
As Rabbi Assi said that Rabbi Yochanan said: A document with which one borrowed and repaid it, he cannot go back and borrow with it again, because its lien has already been forgiven.
טַעְמָא דְּנִמְחַל שִׁעְבּוּדוֹ, אֲבָל מִשּׁוּם שִׁיקְרָא – לָא חָיְישִׁינַן.
The Gemara infers: The reason it is invalid is because its lien has been forgiven, but because of a lie of it being written beforehand, we do not worry.
The Gemara resolves the contradiction in Rabbi Elazar's view by explaining that two Tannaim disagree on his opinion. It then presents two main approaches to the Rabbinic ordinance allowing the tofes to be written in advance: Rabbi Shabbetai in the name of Hizkiyya explains it according to Rabbi Meir as a measure to prevent marital quarrels, while Rav Hisda in the name of Avimi suggests it was enacted to prevent women from becoming agunos. Finally, the Gemara discusses the absolute requirement to include a date in a get, explaining how this applies to both married and betrothed women, and begins analyzing Ulla's teaching regarding a husband who prepares a get for his betrothed to be used after their marriage.
In our sugya, the Gemara explores the deep wisdom behind the Sages' rules for writing a get. Rav Hisda explains that according to Rabbi Meir, a scribe cannot write the essential part of a divorce document in advance because of a profound psychological insight: if a husband has a pre-written get sitting in his drawer, a sudden, heated argument could lead him to rashly throw it to his wife in a moment of anger, destroying their home forever. By forcing him to wait, find a scribe, and have the document written from scratch, the Sages built a mandatory cooling-off period into the law, giving him the time he needs to calm down and reconsider.
This is a powerful lesson in how we must manage our own moments of anger and impulse. The Torah teaches us that human emotions can flare up like a sudden fire. If the tools of destruction are too close at hand, whether it is a harsh word, an angry email, or a rash decision, we are likely to use them in the heat of the moment and cause irreversible damage. True wisdom lies in creating space between our emotional triggers and our actions, building a buffer zone that allows our yiras Shamayim and intellect to regain control.
When you feel anger rising today, do not react immediately. Create a deliberate delay, wait a few hours, sleep on it, or step out of the room, to give your mind the time it needs to calm down and choose peace over destruction.