126

To issue a divorce by means of a Get document

The Luchos - Ten Commandments
כִּֽי־יִקַּ֥ח אִ֛ישׁ אִשָּׁ֖ה וּבְעָלָ֑הּ וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־לֹ֧א תִמְצָא־חֵ֣ן בְּעֵינָ֗יו כִּי־מָ֤צָא בָהּ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר וְכָ֨תַב לָ֜הּ סֵ֤פֶר כְּרִיתֻת֙ וְנָתַ֣ן בְּיָדָ֔הּ וְשִׁלְּחָ֖הּ מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ - פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תֵצֵא
Deuteronomy 24:1 - "When a man takes a wife and is intimate with her, and it happens that she does not find favor in his eyes because he discovers in her an unseemly [moral] matter, and he writes for her a bill of divorce and places it into her hand, and sends her away from his house,"

This Mitzvah's Summary

מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Family – מִשְׁפָּחָה

Divorce must be carried out through a proper Get document.

This mitzvah commands that when a marriage ends, it must be dissolved through a Sefer Keritut (bill of divorce), known as a Get. The Get must be written specifically for the couple, handed directly to the wife, and given before valid witnesses. This mitzvah ensures that divorce, though regrettable, is conducted with sanctity, clarity, and respect, allowing both parties to move forward within halacha and preventing marital confusion.

Commentary & Classical Explanation:

  • Rambam (Hilchot Gerushin 1:1): Rules that divorce is valid only through the delivery of a Get written for the woman specifically.
  • Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 579): The root is to provide halachic certainty in dissolving marriages, preventing disputes about lineage and marital status.
  • Talmud (Gittin 21a): Details the requirements for writing, delivering, and witnessing a Get to ensure its validity.
(Source: Chabad.org)

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