After refusing to grant a get to his wife for 18 years, a recalcitrant husband on Wednesday, 13 Adar, granted the get and was released from jail following two months of imprisonment. The beis din convened in the prison.
The recalcitrant husband was sentenced to five years imprisonment for refusing to release his wife. After serving two months of his sentence he learned that he has a serious illness which even led to his hospitalization for a period of time during the months. The rav of the Israel Prison Authority, Rabbi Yehuda Yekutiel Weisner is credited with persuading the husband with changing his mind. It is stated that this is the 61st time the intervention of the Israel Prison Authority rabbonim has led to a recalcitrant husband changing his mind and agreeing to give a get.
Rav Weisner explains that a man who he imprisoned for not giving a get is motivated by anger and revenge. “It is a complicated situation and we work to mediate between the sides towards releasing women from their imprisonment by persuading husbands to give a get. In this case the man is traditional and I took it upon myself to address this case and to penetrate into his heart. At one point I asked permission to phone the women and their five children and when he agreed, I acted immediately before he would change his mind”.
Rabbi Weisner explains the batei din were closed because of Taanis Esther but Rabbi Eliyahu Maimon, who heads the unit dealing with agunos, and a representative of the beis din were summoned and they came immediately. The entire matter was carried out in a visitors’ room of the prison to avoid delay and the possibility the husband would retract his decision.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
batei din were closed Time was of the essence since according to Shulchon Oruch:- Bes Din doesn’t convene within 30 days of Yom Tov, and as of Purim, within 30 days of Pesach.
and their five children Having visitation solves a lot when comes to these cases.
!ברוך ה׳
Huhhhh? The Israeli govt imprisons recalcitrant husbands for not giving a get? 5 year sentence? Never heard of that, but I find that to be admirably against the mainstream grain of liberal democracy…
This must have been the most joyous Purim of the family’s life. 18 years this animal kept her a prisoner & now, when he faces his own mortality, he lets her go. I am so happy for his ex-wife & their children. Not too much rachmones for him.
It’s amazing how arrogant, stupid, and self inflicting people can be! Imagine: 18 years of emotional suffering to oneself by refusing to close a chapter in one’s life and 5 years of jail time and the social scars that will remain with him for the rest of his life as a result (such as difficulties being hire – who wants to hire a guy that bears grudges?! Perhaps he’ll cause damage to the company!). Worst of all, imagine what his kids think of him!
For all you guys that let your arrogance prevent you from giving your wife a Get let this be a lesson to you before you’re the next STUPID one made an example of!!!
A Get given while imprisoned or forced by any physical force is a Get Posul (Get Meusa), except in very rare cases which is almost not applicable today, so while some may celebrate the woman’s victory, it is not such a happy occasion, because most likely the Get is invalid
igit1818 #6 is 100% correct. Also, this story involves a “traditional”, i.e. non-Orthodox, couple.