Study Gittin folio 9B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
that are produced in non-Jew courts [arkaot], even though their signatories are non-Jews, they are valid, except for bills of divorce and bills of manumission. These documents are not valid when prepared by non-Jews. And according to the statement of R' Meir, bills of divorce and manumission are
The Talmud asks: Granted, according to the opinion of the Rabbis, they state the number 3 to exclude this opinion of R' Meir, by emphasizing that there are only 3 ways, not 4. However, according to the opinion of R' Meir, what does the number 4 serve to exclude? Wouldn’t it have been enough to sa
The Talmud answers: The rabbis mention this number to exclude that which is taught in a baraita: With regard to witnesses who do not know how to sign, i.e., they do not know how to write their names, one tears blank paper for them, meaning that a stencil of their names is fashioned from blank pape
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: In what case is this statement said? It is said with regard to bills of divorce. However, with regard to bills of manumission and all other documents, if the witnesses know how to read and sign, they sign, and if not, they do not sign. R' Meir agrees with the opini
With regard to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s statement, the Talmud asks: Reading, who mentioned anything about it? Why does Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel mention a need for the witnesses to be able to read when the discussion is about a witness who does not know how to sign? The Talmud answers: The barai