Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Gittin 9: ? חֵרשֵׁ בּרַ אתֵוֹייֵ גּיִטּאָ

jyungar May 26, 2023

For the source text click/tap here: Gittin 9

To download, click/tap here: PDF

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the statement: He is unable to say? If we say that this is referring to a deaf-mute, is a deaf-mute fit to bring a bill of divorce? But didn’t we learn in a mishna (23a):

Anyone is fit to serve as an agent to bring a bill of divorce to a woman except for a deaf-mute, an imbecile, and a minor, all of whom may not be appointed as agents at all, as they are not intellectually competent according to halakha?

Rav Yosef said: With what are we dealing here? This is a case where the agent gave the bill of divorce to her when he was halakhically competent, but he did not manage to say: It was written in my presence and it was signed in my presence before he became a deaf-mute.

In other words, although at the time he was appointed he was fit to be appointed as an agent, he is currently unable to say anything.

We explore the changing attitudes to deaf/mute and even amputees in Halacha.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​