Commentary for Gittin 131:17

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> אמר לשנים תנו גט לאשתי

— A Tannah of the school of R. Ishmael taught: In time of danger<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the case of one who is in imminent danger of death. ');">¹⁵</span> we can write and [give a Get], even if we do not know him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., whether he is the man who he says he is. ');">¹⁶</span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN IN HEALTH SAYS, WRITE A GET FOR MY WIFE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without adding, Give it to her. ');">¹⁷</span> HIS INTENTION IS MERELY TO PLAY WITH HER. IT ONCE HAPPENED WITH A MAN IN GOOD HEALTH WHO SAID, WRITE A GET FOR MY WIFE, AND THEN WENT UP ON TO A ROOF AND FELL DOWN FROM IT AND DIED, AND RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID THAT IF HE HAD THROWN HIMSELF DOWN THIS WAS A GET,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because, having had the intention to commit suicide, he was on the same footing as one in imminent danger of death. ');">¹⁸</span> BUT IF THE WIND HAD BLOWN HIM OVER IT WAS NO GET. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. The instance adduced disproves the rule, [does it not]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the rule is given without qualification. ');">¹⁹</span> — There is a lacuna, and the Mishnah should run thus: 'If his subsequent conduct reveals his intention [to kill himself], the Get is valid. IT ONCE HAPPENED WITH A MAN IN GOOD HEALTH WHO SAID, WRITE A GET FOR MY WIFE, AND THEN WENT UP TO A ROOF AND FELL DOWN FROM IT AND DIED, AND RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: IF HE HAD THROWN HIMSELF DOWN THIS WAS A GET, B UT IF THE WIND HAD BLOWN HIM OVER IT WAS NO GET. A certain man went into the synagogue and found a teacher of children and his son sitting there and a third man sitting by them. He said to them: I want two of you to write a Get for my wife. Before the Get was given<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'At the end'. ');">²⁰</span> the teacher died. [The question arose], Do people usually make a son their agent in the place of his father or not?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The husband had gone away, and the question was whether when the man said 'two of you', his words could apply equally to the son alone as well as to the father alone in conjunction with the third man, or to the father only, the son being ineligible when the father was present. ');">²¹</span> — R. Nahman said: People do not make a son the agent in the place of his father, while R. Papi said that people do make a son their agent in the place of his father.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the son can form the second man to write the Get. ');">²²</span> Raba said: The law is that people do make a son the agent in place of the father. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN SAID TO TWO PERSONS, GIVE A GET TO MY WIFE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But did not say write'. ');">²³</span>

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