daf bit: Gittin 2-3

We move on to Tractate Gittin, divorces. (A get is the document of divorce. "Gittin" is the Aramaic plural.)

When a man divorces his wife, he goes to a beit din (rabbinic court) to have the bill of divorce written. This is then delivered by a third party to the wife. The first mishna of this tractate teaches that the bearer of the get declares to the wife: "in my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed". Why? Because it could otherwise be difficult to find witnesses to confirm the validity of the signatures. The bearer is serving as a witness.

But wait! Why do we trust a single witness, the bearer, when the torah tells us that on the word of two witnesses a matter is decided? How can we have only one here? An argument is made that two witnesses are required for damages, but for ritual matters one suffices. This is challenged: we're not talking about the kashrut status of a piece of meat here, but rather about a woman whose permissibility to other men is at stake! So this should require two witnesses -- two bearers, in this case. But, the g'mara goes on to say, the rabbis allowed a single bearer as a leniency for the woman, to reduce the chance of creating an agunah, a chained woman who is unable to get out of a marriage and go on with her life. (This is an issue if a man won't give a get or if he disappears.) (mishna 2a, g'mara 2b-3a)

Today's daf is 4.