The Jerusalem Beis Din has imposed an ongoing weekly fine on a woman who refuses to accept a get from her husband
The fine of NIS 1,250 a week was approved by Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau and also received the legal approval of Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut.
The couple involved in the case married 30 years ago in the United States, have eight children and immigrated to Israel about 15 years ago. They have had ongoing marital problems and over the years many attempts have been made to resolve their disputes.
Eventually, the members of the Jerusalem Regional Rabbinical Court concluded that the couple’s differences are irreconcilable and both parties wanted a divorce. However, the woman has repeatedly refused to accept a get until a number of financial and property demands are met.
After a review of the proceedings and piskei din by the Beis Din HaGadol, a decision was made to impose sanctions and court-ordered restrictions on the recalcitrant wife, including a ban on leaving the country, obtaining or holding a passport and driver’s license, engaging in a profession that requires a license, and opening or maintaining a bank account, including withdrawing checks from an account.
Rav Dovid Lau wrote: ”Restrictions will be imposed on the woman who refuses to adhere to the piskei Beis Din and accept a get from her husband, despite the Beis Din’s psak that she is obligated to divorce. The woman brought all the property disputes to the [secular] court so her refusal to divorce is not connected to the deliberations on her property claims.”
Rav Lau continued by detailing the tremendous efforts that were made to reach a compromise with the woman and conclude the matter peacefully, including additional financial incentives, all to no avail as she persisted in refusing to obey the Beis Din’s ruling.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Why this is international news is beyond me
Same fines must be imposed on every single woman who prevents a father from seeing his children, and this amount per child per week.
Why don’t we see you doing all this to recalcitrant husbands?
THEY SHOULD GIVE THE HUSBAND A HETER TO TAKE ANOTHER WIFE AND LET HER PICK UP HER GET FROM THE BEIS DIN.
and what about her Slander against him
Question is who gets the money?
As to the previous comments, I ask: Why dont we leave the judging to the Beis Din who have heard and evaluated the situation , tried to come to a conclusion that is both within Torah and secular law compliant.
I wish the family well. Hope for the childrens sake they can move forward and rebuild their lives.
Rif, what are you talking about? They throw husbands like this in PRISON. She’s lucky that she’s only being fined.
Naftali Coleman, that would be the next step. A heter meah rabbonim is not so simple. It shouldn’t be given, even in cases where kefiyas get is justified, without serious efforts first to resolve it without one. So far he may not even be ready to get remarried. If she continues to defy the beis din, and he finds someone he wants to marry, then they can arrange a heter for him.
Agree with @Naftalicoleman: why is there no heter meoh rabbonim?
@Rif: You can’t do the same with Husbands, as it could create a GET M’USSEH, which could be posul.
Forcing a husband, might be a huge problem because the Get is really a Forced Get. But forcing a woman there is no Chshash of Eishes Ish.
This is sensationalist news. Why should YWN bother to publish this?
Hashem should have mercy the children that they should be healthy emotionally from all of this.
Since they are coercing her in any case, why not simply place a get in her four amos and declare her to be divorced?
Naftali , since a woman can’t get such a heter , a man can’t either . Israel is a democracy , where women have voices , public opinions , and positions in government . The laws must be equal for all . Maybe he can get such a heter for a private , unrecognized ceremony . If you believe otherwise , there are many countries that share your views , like Saudi Arabia , Afghanistan , Iran , and the likes .
David and Ader, there is no problem of get me’sueh if a beis din finds that there are grounds for kefiyas get. Kefiyas get is explicitly allowed by the gemara, and denying it is KEFIRA. The only question is whether the grounds exist here, and that is for the beis din, not for us.
Judith, Jewish law is NOT a democracy. It is given by G-D HIMSELF, and it is not up for debate. Marriage law is NOT equal. G-d said women can only have one husband, but men can have many wives. There is no heter for a woman to have two husbands, because such a thing is impossible by definition. Rabbenu Gershom said from now on men may only have one wife, unless they are given a heter meah rabbonim. Such a heter is a serious matter, and can’t be given lightly, but it can be given. For you to deny that is also KEFIRA. One more thing: Israel does not belong to its population, it belongs to G-D. HIS laws are binding, no matter what the population or the Knesset think. If they defy it they are criminals and should be overthrown.
My question is, why don’t they publicize the name of the women that’s refusing to take the get, just like they do with the men?
Milhouse , the heter is not being given and that’s the right thing . You can practice Jewish law , but Israel is not a halachic state . If women suffer as agunot , men will, too . As I have already stated , you can find countries with laws favorable to men in Sudan , Afghanistan , Saudi Arabia , etc,. Women in Israel will not tolerate discrimination . If one group can’t get a heter , the other can’t either .