A complex and tragic agunah case was resolved this week at the Eitanim psychiatric hospital in the mountains outside Jerusalem.
The story began four years ago when a couple wed. Unfortunately, two years later, the husband fell into a severe psychotic state and was hospitalized in a closed ward in Eitanim.
The wife opened a file at the Jerusalem Regional Beis Din for a get but repeated attempts by the dayanim to procure a get were unsuccessful due to the husband’s continuous psychotic state.
The members of the Beis Din did not give up and were in continuous contact with the husband’s psychiatric team over the husband’s condition. For example, this past erev Pesach, the team reported that the man was showing signs of rationality. The head of the Jerusalem Batei Din, HaRav Mordechai Ralbag, rushed to the hospital, only to be disappointed as the man had meanwhile reverted to a psychotic state.
This week, the psychiatric team reported that there was a sudden change for the better. HaRav Ralbag was abroad but he instructed his staff to do everything they can to procure a get.
Av Beis Din HaRav Yitzchak Oshinksy and head secretary HaRav Moshe Biton urgently put together a team including a sofer stam, eidim and shaliach, and rushed to the hospital.
In a moment of lucidity, the husband appointed a shaliach, the sofer stam wrote the get, and shortly later, the get was delivered and the woman was freed from her aginus.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
And this is appropriate to share as news?
Wow, crazy story
Why was he in a psychotic state for so long in a hospital where they treat this with medication? It should not have taken so long to get him back to normal.
Psychotic for two years straight??
To renas.. Do you realize how hard it is for families of people with mental health issues to read comments like yours?
To skripka. Maybe I know closely families of ppl with mental health who have been in psych wards and am painfully aware of what goes on there. Do you? Why is it hard to read comments like mine?
So the message is for a Woman who has been illegitimately denied a get and rabbonim have been unsuccessful in changing his mind, do what you can to lead your “ex” to a psychotic state and hope a member of the beis din is nearby. I’m thrilled this woman may now have her life back but think about the hundred or thousand of others who are still trapped.
It’s a sensitive subject and should NOT be discussed, especially when these rabbanim do NOTHING to change the process of mental health stigma! On the other hand, people do need to understand that it’s extremely difficult to live with a psychotic person and when they heal, they could be beautiful and loving people. However in many cases, it’s hard to get stability no matter what they try, nevabach, unfortunately. Our hearts should go out for both the man and the woman. Think about the pain this man has when lucid and sees the carnage his condition is doing to others! You cannot imagine! I have first hand experience, unfortunately. Please don’t view these sufferers negatively and make careless remarks. We need to be mechazek them because many suffer from affective disorders too, meaning, they feel sufferers too despite being psychotic!
Noone is viewing anyone with psychosis negatively. Do we view someone with diabetes or a broken foot negatively? We must be able to be more accepting of mental illness as an illness like any physical one. Unfortunately psych wards are hush hush, but everyone visits the cancer ward..these ppl suffer tremendously. Without medication a lot of ppl would never recover. However now with so many medication available, I’ve seen very sick ppl make a full recovery and live a full life again. Let’s accept medication and not view ppl negatively because they take it. It’s not a weakness just like a cast on a leg isn’t a weakness..it enables ppl to live full wonderful lives!
Renas, you’re right about what we “must” do but somehow have the view that noone is viewing anyone with psychosis negatively! People still can psychotics “meshugane” for your knowledge! The way this article was written was cold and icy to just bring out a legality how they were able to have a get obtained. True, it’s a win for the woman, where I can say she has the right to live in peace (especially if her ex is unstable for 2 years), but some sensitivity and arguments understating the sufferers would be in order. Again, the story is about Halacha but if not trying to bring out the emotional crisis the family and the husband suffer, why bring it on YWN! I’m sure there are way more important topics where most people won’t feel uncomfortable with can be posted. Look, from a mental health sufferer, and possibly going through the same relationships concerns, how do they feel about this article? Can you see any gedolim doing this? Of course in responsa, let’s say if Reb Moshe, he needs to write it because it can bring Halacha precedences but just to blah about such a story? Come on!
I think it’s important to finally talk abt these uncomfortable topics. There are support groups for off the derech, ppl with fertility issues, but is there a support group for ppl living with mental and emotional issues? Maybe this is the chance to start talking abt and understanding what this couple went thru cuz believe me..they aren’t the only ones..
We have to stop viewing ppl with psychosis as meshugana because the person sutting next to you may have had a psychotic episode and they are talented, wonderful ppl..time to change this stigma..this is not the 1960s! We are in the 21th century!