Talmud Yerushalmi
Yerushalmi Gittin 6:7 ירושלמי גיטין ו׳:ז׳
Part of: Chapter 6
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משנה: אָמַר לִשְׁנַיִם תְּנוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי אוֹ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה כִּתְבוּ גֵט וּתְנוּ לְאִשְׁתִּי הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ יִכְתְּבוּ וְיִתְּנוּ. אָמַר לִשְׁלֹשָׁה תְּנוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ יֹאמְרוּ לַאֲחֵרִים כְּתוֹבוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן בֵּית דִּין דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי מֵאִיר. וְזוֹ הֲלָכָה שָׁלַח חֲנַנְיָה אִישׁ אוֹנוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין מְקוּבָּל אֲנִי בְּאוֹמֵר לִשְׁלֹשָׁה תְּנוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לַאֲחֵרִים כְּתוֹבוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן בֵּית דִּין. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי נוּמֵינוּ לַשָּׁלִיחַ אַף אָנוּ מְקוּבָּלִין שֶׁאֲפִילוּ אָמַר לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלֵם תְּנוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּלְמְדוּ וְיִכְתְּבוּ וְיִתְּנוּ. אָמַר לַעֲשָׂרָה כִּתְבוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי אֶחָד כּוֹתֵב וּשְׁנַיִם חוֹתְמִין. כּוּלְּכֵם כְּתוֹבוּ אֵֶחָד כּוֹתֵב וְכוּלָּן חוֹתְמִין. לְפִיכָךְ אִם מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן הֲרֵי זֶה גֵט בָּטֶל.
MISHNAH: If one said to two persons, give a bill of divorce to my wife137Since the husband did not authorize a scribe, the appointed persons themselves have to write the bill of divorce., or to three persons, write a bill of divorce and deliver to my wife, they should write and deliver138Since he specifically asked them to write, they cannot constitute themselves as a court and direct the scribe of the court to write the bill but must write it themselves.. If he said to three persons, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall ask others to write since he appointed them as a court, the words of Rebbi Meïr. This instructions for practice did Ḥananiah139In Sanhedrin 1:2 (18d last line) he is called Ḥanina; in Babli sources Rebbi Ḥanina. from Ono send from jail: I know from tradition that if someone said to three persons, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall ask others to write since he appointed them as a court. Rebbi Yose said, we told the messenger that we also know from tradition that even if he said to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall learn140If they do not know how to write a document., write, and deliver. If he said to ten persons, write a bill of divorce for my wife, one writes and two sign. All of you shall write, one writes and all sign. Therefore, if one of them died, the bill of divorce would be void.
MISHNAH: If one said to two persons, give a bill of divorce to my wife137Since the husband did not authorize a scribe, the appointed persons themselves have to write the bill of divorce., or to three persons, write a bill of divorce and deliver to my wife, they should write and deliver138Since he specifically asked them to write, they cannot constitute themselves as a court and direct the scribe of the court to write the bill but must write it themselves.. If he said to three persons, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall ask others to write since he appointed them as a court, the words of Rebbi Meïr. This instructions for practice did Ḥananiah139In Sanhedrin 1:2 (18d last line) he is called Ḥanina; in Babli sources Rebbi Ḥanina. from Ono send from jail: I know from tradition that if someone said to three persons, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall ask others to write since he appointed them as a court. Rebbi Yose said, we told the messenger that we also know from tradition that even if he said to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, deliver a bill of divorce to my wife, they shall learn140If they do not know how to write a document., write, and deliver. If he said to ten persons, write a bill of divorce for my wife, one writes and two sign. All of you shall write, one writes and all sign. Therefore, if one of them died, the bill of divorce would be void.
הלכה: אָמַר לִשְׁנַיִם. תְּנוּ גֵט לְאִשְׁתִּי כול׳. מַתְנִיתָא דְּרִבִּי מֵאִיר מִן דְּבַתְרָהּ אָמַר לִשְׁלֹשָׁה. וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא. טַעֲמָא דְרִבִּי מֵאִיר. מַה מָצִינוּ בְכָל מָקוֹם אֲחֵרִים כּוֹתְבִין וּבֵית דִּין חוֹתְמִין. וְהָכָא אֲחֵרִים כּוֹתְבִין וּבֵית דִּין מְחַתְּמִין.
HALAKHAH: “If one said to two persons, give a bill of divorce to my wife,” etc. The Mishnah follows Rebbi Meïr141The problem discussed is hinted at in Halakhah 7:2 but made explicit only in the Babli (66b, also 29a,71b,72b). R. Yose (ben Ḥalaphta, the Tanna of overriding authority) holds that “words cannot be delivered to an agent.” Therefore (Mishnah 7:2), if a sick person says to the (at least three) persons attending him, write a bill of divorce to my wife; if they ask a scribe to produce the bill and then they all sign, the bill is invalid since the order to write the bill cannot be delivered through an agent. This contrasts with the Mishnah here, which states that if three persons were appointed, they can be considered a court and have the authority to order the document to be drawn up as a court, not as agents. There really is no doubt that the Mishnah is R. Meïr’s, since it is stated explicitly. The question is only what is R. Meïr’s reason in opposing R. Yose. It seems that R. Yose will agree that a court can cause the bill to be written if the husband in so many words appoints three persons as a court; he does not accept R. Meïr’s position that the appointment of at least three joint agents automatically constitutes them as a court; he does not admit that a person can appoint others (in any number, but not a formal court) to act as agents to have a document written for him (Babli 66b)., from the next sentence: “If he said to three persons;” and Rav Ḥisda said, the reason of Rebbi Meïr is that we find everywhere that others write and the court signs, also here others write and the court affixes their signatures.
HALAKHAH: “If one said to two persons, give a bill of divorce to my wife,” etc. The Mishnah follows Rebbi Meïr141The problem discussed is hinted at in Halakhah 7:2 but made explicit only in the Babli (66b, also 29a,71b,72b). R. Yose (ben Ḥalaphta, the Tanna of overriding authority) holds that “words cannot be delivered to an agent.” Therefore (Mishnah 7:2), if a sick person says to the (at least three) persons attending him, write a bill of divorce to my wife; if they ask a scribe to produce the bill and then they all sign, the bill is invalid since the order to write the bill cannot be delivered through an agent. This contrasts with the Mishnah here, which states that if three persons were appointed, they can be considered a court and have the authority to order the document to be drawn up as a court, not as agents. There really is no doubt that the Mishnah is R. Meïr’s, since it is stated explicitly. The question is only what is R. Meïr’s reason in opposing R. Yose. It seems that R. Yose will agree that a court can cause the bill to be written if the husband in so many words appoints three persons as a court; he does not accept R. Meïr’s position that the appointment of at least three joint agents automatically constitutes them as a court; he does not admit that a person can appoint others (in any number, but not a formal court) to act as agents to have a document written for him (Babli 66b)., from the next sentence: “If he said to three persons;” and Rav Ḥisda said, the reason of Rebbi Meïr is that we find everywhere that others write and the court signs, also here others write and the court affixes their signatures.
רִבִּי הִלֵּל בַּר וָולֶס בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי. מָה רָאוּ לוֹמַר. הֲלָכָה כְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ. שֶׁלֹּא רְאִיתִיו. רִבִּי כַּד הֲוָה בְעֵי מַקְשֵׁייה עַל דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר. אֲנָן עֲלִיבַיָיא מַקְשַׁיָיא עַל דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. שֶׁכְּשֵׁם לְבֵין קָדְשֵׁי הַקָּדָשִׁים לְבֵין חוּלֵי חוּלִין כָּךְ בֵּין דּוֹרֵינוּ לְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁלְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֵּירִבִּי יוֹסֵי. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבֵּין זָהָב לְעָפָר כָּךְ בֵּין דּוֹרֵינוּ לְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבָּא.
Rebbi Hillel ben Valens asked before Rebbi: What reason did they have to say that practice follows Rebbi Yose142There is no doubt that in the Mishnah, practice has to follow R. Yose even if the opinion of Ḥanania from Ono might have the authority of R. Aqiba behind it (cf. Terumot 3:1, Note 23).? He said to him, because I never met him. If somebody questioned statements of Rebbi Yose, Rebbi said, we miserable ones asked against Rebbi Yose, for as there is a difference between the most holy and the most profane, so is there a difference between Rebbi Yose’s generation and ours. Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose said, the difference between my father’s generation and ours is like that between gold and dust.
Rebbi Hillel ben Valens asked before Rebbi: What reason did they have to say that practice follows Rebbi Yose142There is no doubt that in the Mishnah, practice has to follow R. Yose even if the opinion of Ḥanania from Ono might have the authority of R. Aqiba behind it (cf. Terumot 3:1, Note 23).? He said to him, because I never met him. If somebody questioned statements of Rebbi Yose, Rebbi said, we miserable ones asked against Rebbi Yose, for as there is a difference between the most holy and the most profane, so is there a difference between Rebbi Yose’s generation and ours. Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose said, the difference between my father’s generation and ours is like that between gold and dust.
אָמַר לַעֲשָׂרָה. הוֹלִיכוּ אֶת הַגֵּט הַזֶּה. אֶחָד מוֹלִיךְ עַל יְדֵי כוּלָּן. כּוּלְּכֶם הוֹלִיכוּ. כּוּלָּם מוֹלִיכִין וְאֶחָד נוֹתֵן עַל יְדֵי כוּלָּן. לְפִיכָךְ אִם מֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן הֲרֵי הַגֵּט בָּטֶל. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר דְּמִן רוֹמָא. הַמְזַכֶּה כְּאוֹמֵר. כּוּלְּכֶם.
143Tosephta 4:13; Babli 67b.“If somebody said to ten persons, ‘bring this bill of divorce’, one transports in the name of all of them. ‘All of you shall bring’, they all transport and one delivers in the name of all of them; therefore, if one of them died, the bill of divorce becomes invalid.” 144Babli 67b; quoted in the name of the Yerushalmi but in Babli language in Sefer Ha‘Iṭṭur I, 29d (Note 186). Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Eleazar from Rome: The one who awards145It is difficult to understand what it means to “award” the right to deliver a bill of divorce. The Babli version (also ascribed to the Yerushalmi, Note 144), reads: “The one who counts is like one who says ‘all of you’,” which according to Rashi means that the husband says: you, 1, 2, 3, 4 (pointing at persons and counting the number of persons he appointed) shall deliver. One could try to explain the version of the text if the husband is a very well known personality and it is an honor to be his representative. Then, if he appoints his representatives by name without indication of any preferences between them, they all have equal rank and all are appointed jointly but not separately. it like one who says “all of you”.
143Tosephta 4:13; Babli 67b.“If somebody said to ten persons, ‘bring this bill of divorce’, one transports in the name of all of them. ‘All of you shall bring’, they all transport and one delivers in the name of all of them; therefore, if one of them died, the bill of divorce becomes invalid.” 144Babli 67b; quoted in the name of the Yerushalmi but in Babli language in Sefer Ha‘Iṭṭur I, 29d (Note 186). Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Eleazar from Rome: The one who awards145It is difficult to understand what it means to “award” the right to deliver a bill of divorce. The Babli version (also ascribed to the Yerushalmi, Note 144), reads: “The one who counts is like one who says ‘all of you’,” which according to Rashi means that the husband says: you, 1, 2, 3, 4 (pointing at persons and counting the number of persons he appointed) shall deliver. One could try to explain the version of the text if the husband is a very well known personality and it is an honor to be his representative. Then, if he appoints his representatives by name without indication of any preferences between them, they all have equal rank and all are appointed jointly but not separately. it like one who says “all of you”.