Jerusalem Beis Din Dayanim Rabbi Yosef Goldberg, Rabbi David Bardugo and Rabbi Mordechai Ralbag have been asked by a chareidi husband to be released from paying the kesuva to his wife as he can prove she has been having ‘affairs’ on social networking, including Facebook likes from male admirers. Hence, he does not feel he is required to pay the NIS 55,555 in his wife’s kesuva.

The husband presented the beis din with chat sessions and Facebook posting to prove his position, showing the beis din his wife would contact two men regularly, late at night.

The wife denies the allegations against her, bringing testimony from the balanit from the local mikve, who attested that she goes to mikve regularly. She admitted to using Facebook, but only for searches and to make her husband jealous and come back to her, but there were no romances. The attorney for the woman showed that none of her so-called romances received any response, adding credibility to her contention that she fabricated them to bring her husband back to her.

A witness for the husband told the beis din he saw a “great love” between them. The woman told the court she wants shalom bayis.

The beis din ordered the husband to pay the kesuva, instructing the side to reach agreement on payments and if they cannot, the beis din will assign a payment schedule.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)