About this episode
Today's daf is sponsored by Ruth & Stuart Pilichowski in loving memory of Rabbi Dov Greenstone. Today's daf is sponsored by Lesley Glassberg Nadel in loving memory of her mother Theresa Glassberg, Tova bat Tzvi Hirsch and Bayla, on her 19th yahrzeit. "May her name be for a blessing." Three sources are brought to question Raba's opinion and are resolved by explaining that at a certain point, even people abroad knew the rule of li'shma and the need for saying "in front of me it was written..." was only a rabbinic decree just in case they forget this law sometime in the future, and therefore it is not applicable in rare situations or if the woman already remarried. The same argument between Raba and Rava was also argued by two Rabbis, amoraim from an earlier generation in Israel. There is another debate regarding in front of how many people the messenger needs to be to deliver the get and recite "in front of me it was written and signed" - two or three. They suggest that this also is linked to the previous argument of Raba/Rava, however, this suggestion is rejected and they explain it to be a question of can a witness also function as a judge - if yes, then in front of two is enough as the witness also counts as a judge and there are three, and if not, then it needs to be said in front of three. However, the Gemara questions this as in rabbinic issues, all agree that a witness can be a judge also. So the argument is refined to be specifically a debate here as a woman's testimony is accepted, however, she cannot become a judge - is there a reason for concern that if in general one can say it in front of two, they may accidentally think to do the same when a woman is the messenger and think that she can function as a judge or is it clear that everyone knows that she cannot and therefore two is enough in a case where a man is the messenger. The Gemara brings a braita to support Rabbi Yochanan's position that the messenger needs to bring the get in front of two witnesses. In order to be able to say "in front of me it was written...," how much does the messenger need to see of the get being written? There are different positions on this issue.