For the source text click/tap here: Gittin 78
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Steinsaltz informs us "How aware does the woman need to be that she is receiving a bill of divorce? Since, according to the Torah, a woman can be divorced even against her will (a law that has not been in practice since the enactments of Rebbeinu Gershom Me’or ha-Golah in the 10th century), is it necessary for the husband to inform his wife of the divorce, or can he hide the true significance of the paper until it is already in her possession?
The Mishna on our daf teaches that a man cannot say to his wife “hold this promissory note for me” and hand a geṭ to her; similarly, he cannot slip it into her hands while she is sleeping. The geṭ will not be valid until it is given to her together with the statement “here is your divorce.”
We further explore the metaphor of marriage and divorce in our relationship with the Divine.