Commentary for Gittin 6:7

אמר לשנים תנו גט לאשתי – even though he did not say, “write and give,” they should write [it] on their own, and not tell another scribe that he should write it, nor for witnesses to attest it with their signatures, for the Jewish court did consider that they should command others, but rather [only] on the witnesses, “these are the agents,” “these are the witnesses,.” But if he [i.e., the husband] said to three [individuals]: write and give a Jewish bill of divorce to my wife,” even though they are worthy to serve as a Jewish court, since in public, he said to them, “write,” he did not compare them to a Jewish court, but rather only as witnesses.

Introduction The final mishnah of chapter six teaches that if the husband made his agents into a court (consisting of three), they may appoint a scribe to write the get. However, if he did not constitute a court to take care of the get, then his agents must write the get themselves. Assumedly this would have been difficult, if not nearly impossible since writing divorce documents is complicated and is usually the work of a professional. The final section teaches that sometimes all those who hear the instructions to write a get must sign the get, and sometimes only some must sign the get. It depends on the precise words of the husband.

אמר לג' תנו – but did not say, “write”

If a man said to two people, “Give a get to my wife”, or to three people, “Write a get and give it to my wife”, they must write it and give it. In the first case, the husband’s agents themselves must write the get and give it to his wife, since two people cannot constitute a court. [Note that since he said “Give” and not just “Write” they are at least empowered to write and give the get themselves.] If he instructed three people to write a get and give it to his wife, they must write the get themselves. Even though three people are sufficient to constitute a court, since he specified that they should write the get, they are not empowered to tell someone else to do so.

הרי אלו יאמרו – to other witnesses to write, affix their signatures nad give it, because they were made into a Jewish court.

If he said to three persons, “Give a get to my wife”, they may tell others to write the get because he has made them into a court, the words of Rabbi Meir. And this is the halakhah which Rabbi Hanina a man of Ono brought from prison: “I have received a tradition that if a man says to three persons, ‘Give a get to my wife’, they may tell others to write it, because he has made them into a court. Rabbi Yose said: We said to the messenger, we also have a tradition that even were he to say to the great court in Jerusalem, ‘Give a get to my wife’, they must learn [to write] and write the get and give it. If he told three people to give his wife a get but did not tell them to write the get, he has made them into a court and empowered them to tell a scribe to write the get. This is Rabbi Meir’s opinion. This halakhah of Rabbi Meir is supported by a tradition which Rabbi Hanina a man of Ono (a place) brought from prison. The commentators explain that he received the tradition from Rabbi Akiva who had been imprisoned during the Bar Kokhba revolt. Rabbi Yose disagrees with the tradition brought from the prison and with Rabbi Meir. He says that he too has a tradition that even if one instructs the greatest court that exists, the court that in Jerusalem, to give a get to his wife, the court must write the get themselves. Even if they must learn to write, they may not appoint others in their place. They are empowered to appoint a scribe only if he specifically tells them that they may do so.

בבית האסורים – in the name of Rabbi Akiba who was imprisoned.

If a man says to ten persons, “Write a get”, one writes, and two sign as witnesses. [If he said,] “All of you write”, one writes and all sign. Therefore, if one of them dies, the get is invalid. If a husband tells a group of ten people to write a get (and give it to his wife), it is sufficient for one of them to write the get and two of them to sign. They need not all sign the get. However, if he says to them “All of you write”, they must all participate in the writing of the get, one writing and nine signing. Should one of them die before he signs the get, the group will not be able to execute the get since they will not be able to fulfill the husband’s command.

נומינו לשליח – We said to Rabbi Hanina that we should appoint an agent with regard to this Halakha and to mention it in the Bet Midrash/academy.

ילמדו – if they do not know how to write [a Jewish bill of divorce], they should learn to write until they can write them on their own.