JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In an unusual step for a rabbinical court, a woman from central Israel has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for refusing to accept a get, or Jewish divorce document, from her husband. In general such sanctions are more commonly applied to men who refuse to grant a get.
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The Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court imposed the sentence after years of attempts to persuade the woman to accept the divorce, including efforts by police officers who brought the document to her home. The court said the jail term could be extended if she continues to refuse.
Under Jewish law, both parties must agree to a divorce for it to take effect. When the court determines that a marriage has irreparably broken down and a get must be given, it can impose various sanctions on the party refusing to comply, such as travel bans, asset seizures and public shaming. Imprisonment is considered a last resort.
Such measures are usually directed at men who withhold a get from their wives, effectively preventing them from remarrying under religious law. Currently, ten men are serving jail sentences in Israel for refusing to grant their wives a get, in addition to facing financial penalties and daily fines. This case marks only the second time a woman in Israel has been jailed for refusing to accept a get. The first instance occurred in 2022.
Rabbi David Lau, Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi and president of the Rabbinical Court system, issued the arrest order after the woman failed to appear for hearings over four years, ignored court rulings and evaded attempts to contact her.
There’s an expression,. “Laws are made for honest people.” I would add, ,”When emotions are involved Halacha falls by the wayside.” I’ll share s story. It was Friday night. Hatzolah came to my apartment because of a dental emergency. A couple was spending Shabbos in the neighborhood and their Three year old daughter fell and dislodged her baby tooth. I came over and told them not to worry since the tooth will come out on its own and be replaced in a few years with a permanent tooth. The mother went ballistic because she expected me to put the tooth back. I told her that’s not possible and left. Shabbos morning I saw her husband in Shul. He told me that his wife ordered him to drive the girl to one of the local hospitals. They waited six hours to see an oral surgeon who confirmed what I had said. The husband had to do what she said because his father-in-law had big bucks.
A correction- Rav David Lau is no longer Chief Rabbi or head of the Rabbinical Court System.
When I was a Rov out of town, there was a get case, and the Mesader Gittin told me that it is more common for a woman to refuse a get than for a man to refuse to give one, just the media likes to report about men who are me’agen more.
why? you would think that she’d be happy to “get rid of the whole putz”, as the old joke goes, and move on with her life.
I know personally a case years ago that the husband was offered a job as Rosh Yeshivah in USA, and she didn’t want to leave E.Y.
He tried giving her a get, but she refused to accept it.
He decided he’ll just marry someone else who is willing to live in US
Through heter 100 rabbonim
I don’t understand why don’t they just issue a heter meah rabbonim?
Why doesn’t he just get married with a heter of 100 rabbinim?
They don’t have to force this woman to accept a get
I feel bad for her