Gittin 133

אמרו לסופר ויכתוב ולפלוני ופלוני ויחתמו ומשום כיסופא דסופר חיישי ומחתמי חד מהנך סהדי וסופר בהדייהו ובעל לא אמר הכי

Tell the scribe to write and So-and-so and So-and-so to sign, and out of fear of offending the scribe they will agree that one of them should sign and the scribe with him, which is not what the husband said?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He appointed special witnesses for the signature. This proves that the view that the scribe may witness the Get is not compatible with the view that the husband can say to the agent, Tell the scribe. ');">¹</span>

כיון דאמר מר כשר ולא תעשה כן בישראל לא שכיח

— Since a Master has said<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra. ');">²</span>

וליחוש דילמא אמר להו לבי תרי אמרו לסופר ויכתוב ואתם חתומו ואזלי הנך משום כיסופא דסופר ומחתמי ליה לסופר בהדי חד מינייהו ובעל לא אמר הכי אמרי הא נמי כשר ולא תעשה הוא

[that a Get of this kind<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Tell the scribe to write and So-and-so etc., to sign.' ');">³</span>

הניחא למ"ד כשר ולא תעשה אלא למ"ד כשר ותעשה מאי איכא למימר

is] valid but this should not be done in Israel, it is not usual.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore R. Jose would not make provision against so remote a danger. ');">⁴</span>

אלא רבי יוסי תרתי אמר ושמואל סבר לה כוותיה בחדא ופליג עליה בחדא

But is there not the possibility that he may say to two persons, Tell the scribe to write and do you sign, and they will go and in order not to offend the scribe let the scribe sign along with one of them, which is not what the husband said? — We say here also: Such a Get is valid, but this should not be done in Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore this also is unusual. ');">⁵</span>

גופא אמר שמואל אמר רבי הלכה כרבי יוסי דאמר מילי לא מימסרן לשליח אמר לפניו ר"ש ברבי מאחר שר"מ וחנינא איש אונו חולקין על רבי יוסי מה ראה רבי לומר הלכה כר' יוסי

This is a sufficient answer for one who holds that it is valid but should not be done, but to one who holds that it is valid and may be done what are we to say? — The truth is that R. Jose laid down two [disqualifications],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the Get is invalid whether he told three persons to write and they told a scribe to write, or whether he told two persons to tell a scribe to write and two persons to sign, and they did so. ');">⁶</span>

אמר לו שתוק בני שתוק לא ראית את ר' יוסי אילמלי ראיתו נמוקו עמו

and Samuel concurred with him in regard to one and differed from him in regard to the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Samuel agreed that if he did not say 'tell the scribe' the Get is invalid, since oral instructions cannot he committed to an agent, but he held that if he did say so the Get would he valid. Hence, as regards the query sent to Samuel, if the word 'write' meant only the signature, they would he able to tell the scribe to write. And it was with reference to this that Samuel required the matter to he studied further.] ');">⁷</span>

דתניא איסי בן יהודה היה מונה שבחן של חכמים ר"מ חכם וסופר ר' יהודה חכם לכשירצה ר' טרפון גל של אגוזין ר' ישמעאל חנות מיוזנת ר"ע אוצר בלום ר' יוחנן בן נורי קופת הרוכלים רבי אלעזר בן עזריה קופה של בשמים משנת ר' אליעזר בן יעקב קב ונקי ר' יוסי נמוקו עמו רבי שמעון טוחן הרבה ומוציא קימעא

The text above [states]: 'Samuel said in the name of Rabbi that the <i>halachah</i> is in accordance with R. Jose, who said that verbal instructions cannot be passed on to an agent'. R. Simeon son of Rabbi said to him: Seeing that R. Hanina of Ono and R. Meir take a different view from R. Jose, what was Rabbi's reason for saying that the <i>halachah</i> follows R. Jose? — He replied: Say nothing, my son, say nothing; you have never seen R. Jose. Had you seen him, [you would know] that he always had good ground for his views.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his depth is with him', or 'his nomikon (logic)'. ');">⁸</span>

תנא משכח קימעא ומה שמוציא אינו מוציא אלא סובין וכן אמר ר"ש לתלמידיו בניי שנו מדותי שמדותי תרומות מתרומות מידותיו של ר"ע

For so it has been taught: Issi b. Judah used to specify the distinctive merits of the various Sages. R. Meir [he said], was wise and a scribe.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This was his profession. V. Sotah, 20. ');">⁹</span>

גופא אמר לשנים אמרו לסופר ויכתוב ולפלוני ופלוני ויחתמו אמר רב הונא אמר רב כשר ולא תעשה זאת בישראל

R. Judah was wise when he desired to be.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when he was not too hasty, he could be even wiser than R. Meir (Tosaf.). ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר ליה עולא לרב נחמן ואמרי לה רב נחמן לעולא מאחר דכשר אמאי לא תעשה זאת בישראל א"ל חיישינן שמא תשכור עדים

R. Tarfon was a heap of nuts.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When he was asked a question, his instances came out like a heap of nuts toppling over one another. ');">¹¹</span>

ומי חיישינן והתניא עדים החתומין על שדה מקח ועל גט אשה לא חשו חכמים לדבר זה מעשה לא עבדי דבורא קאמרי

R. Ishmael was a well-stocked shop.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where it is not necessary to keep the customer waiting while the article required is brought from outside. ');">¹²</span>

אמר לשנים אמרו לסופר ויכתוב ואתם חתומו רב חסדא אמר כשר ולא תעשה רבה בר בר חנה אמר כשר ותעשה

R. Akiba was a storehouse with compartments.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All his learning being classified under various heads Scripture, Halachah, Aggadah, etc. like different kinds of corn in a storehouse. ');">¹³</span>

רב נחמן אמר כשר ולא תעשה רב ששת אמר כשר ותעשה רבה אמר כשר ולא תעשה רב יוסף אמר כשר ותעשה

R. Johanan b. Nuri was a basket of fancy goods.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently this indicates that while his knowledge was well arranged like that of R. Akiba, it was not so well unified and correlated. ');">¹⁴</span> R. Eleazar b. Azariah was a basket of spices.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently, less in quantity than R. Johanan's. ');">¹⁵</span> The Mishnah of R. Eliezer b. Jacob [the Elder] was little and good.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a kab and fine'. So that wherever he gives an opinion, the halachah follows him. ');">¹⁶</span> R. Jose always had his reasons. R. Simeon used to grind much and let out little. A Tanna [explained this to mean that] he used to forget little, and what he let go from his mind was only the bran.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., those statements which were not followed by the halachah. ');">¹⁷</span> So too said R. Simeon to his disciples: My sons, learn my rules,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'measures'. ');">¹⁸</span> since my rules are the cream of the cream<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the terumah of the terumah'. ');">¹⁹</span> of R. Akiba's. The text above [states]. 'If a man said to two persons, Tell the scribe to write and So-and-so and So-and-so to sign, R. Huna said in the name of Rab that [the Get is] valid, but this should not be done in Israel.' Said 'Ulla to R. Nahman (or, according to others, R. Nahman said to 'Ulla): Seeing that [the Get is] valid, why should this not be done in Israel? — He replied: We are afraid lest she might suborn witnesses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To say this to the scribe and the witnesses in the name of her husband. ');">²⁰</span> But do we entertain any such fear? Has it not been taught: Once the witnesses have signed to a deed of purchase of a field or the Get of a woman, the Sages entertain no doubts about their reliability? They would not do anything wrong,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., sign their own names. ');">²¹</span> but they might say something. If a man said to two persons, Tell the scribe to write and do you sign, R. Hisda said [that the Get would be] valid but this should not be done; Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said that it is valid and this may be done; R. Nahman said it is valid and this may not be done; R. Shesheth said it is valid and this may be done; Rabbah said it is valid and this may not be done; R. Joseph said it is valid and this may be done.