Av Beis Din and Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Dovid Lau instructed a chevra kadisha to halt a planned Levaya of a woman whose son, a resident of the United States, refused to give his wife a ‘Get’, making her an agunah for 16 years. Rav Lau held up the levaya to take steps to release the woman from her Agunah state.
The decision was made in cooperation with the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, also known as Agudas Harabonim. The Beis Din applied punitive measures against the husband several years ago to pressure him to divorce his wife. Among the restrictions laid down were denying burial rights to the man’s family.
The son has not come to Israel for the levaya, fearing he would be placed under arrest by police, ordered by the beis din. However, he was not prepared for the Rabbanut to take such a dramatic step.
Hours after the decision, the man said he will accede to give a Get. Since the the two no longer live in the same country, an agreement was reached between the man’s family and a representative of his wife that the former put up a bond pledging he will appear before a rabbinical court as soon as possible to grant the Get.
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(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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24 Responses
I hope it works out and she receives her get. That sounds like a controversial policy. what if he would refuse would they hold off on burying her for years?
Good work!
He already gave a Get in 2008 & it’s waiting for his wife to pick it up. BTW, who’s running the Agudas Horabbonim today? Aren’t they aware that there’s a Get waiting for the wife.
I dare these rabbis to hold up an internment next time a Father is not receiving his parenting time with his children. Failing that:- How dare they be Mevazeh a Meiss.
The levaya was only delayed by a few minutes before it proceeded. The son never agreed to anything and didn’t put up any collateral.
“BTW, who’s running the Agudas Horabbonim today?”
It is defunct. Someone still goes around using its name but it has nothing to do with the Agudas Harabbanim of old.
With her lying in a refrigerator and the family not able to bury her makes her a Mais Mitzva which every Jew has an obligation to bury her.
Gevaldik!
Comment #4, the family was warned!
I’m sad for the nifteres but they knew it was coming. The sin didn’t even come out of fear of being detained. The Rabbonim showed backbone! Sadly they did what they needed to do!
its unfortunate for all sides of this story ,but when Rav lau is related to The women side of the family ,then its a travesty for all of klal Yisroel !!
they held up the levaya for 5 hours
The whole story is a crying shame
However if it’s all true then Boroch
Hashem the Rabbonim have the backbone to make such a drastic call
The niftar has the zechoos of freeing up an aguna
Why does the mother have to suffer for the misdeeds of her son? Did she have anything to do with his denying
the get?
147 –
Your comment is spot on .
Wonderful! So now the get will be labeled as a ספק גט מושה, & if she gets remarried on this & has future children, they will be labeled as ספק ממזרים.
@ Torahdefender
Please explain
Koyfim oyso add sheomer rotze ani
????????
Is that not the case here ???
It continues to amaze me how many poskim actually post on ywn…..they must all obviously be poskim otherwise how would they dare question psak halacha
Err…. the woman died overseas? If so, no reason to hold up kevurah, I believe there are a few spots left in some cemeteries.
Personally, I think it’s a brilliant idea.
כל הכבוד לרב לאו
סרבני גט ועוזריהם גורמים נזק עצום לאישה וחילול השם
netzhachamah, two things. 1) she is not a meis mitzvah. 2) when did an eagle, a netz, become a competent posek? you are not even kosher. the word is Hanetz Hachamah. am harartzim call it netz (an eagle) hachamah leaving off the ha which does NOT MEAN the.
Agudas Horabonim is being run by Lonna Kin’s cousin Aryeh Ralbag. That’s why.
This entire situation is painful. And it was actually never resolved. The recalcitrant husband is still not freeing his wife.
I am left wondering two things. One – what is the name of this criminal? I would gladly participate in disgracing him and implementing the cherem that he is violating. Two – I would like to know the identity of the “beis din” that effected a heter meah rabbonim. This outfit is worthy of disgrace itself, and Klal Yisroel needs to eradicate cancers like that from our midst. Any real Rov should not fall victim to commit such acts of chilul Hashem.
@ Loshenhora
The הלכה of כופין אותו עד שיאמר רוצה אני, is very tricky, especially when it comes to גיטין. Unless it is 100% obvious that the man is 100% Halachically obligated to give a גט, then is is VERY DANGEROUS to use כופין אותו עד שיאמר רוצה אני, to force a man to give a גט. If it is even determined many years later, by a different בית דין, that the man wasn’t 100% Halachically obligated to give a גט, then if the woman remarries on that גט, it comes out that her future husband was living with a ספק אשת איש (& possibly a full-fledged אשת איש), and any future children are ספק ממזרים ( or full-fledged ממזרים). Now I ask you, is it better for a woman not to have any גט whatsoever, or rather have a ספק גט?????
Nebach, this case is still not resolved-as the man dubbed a get-refuser for over 14 years issued a video attacking Chief Rabbi Lau and denying agreeing to give a get-during the week of shiva no less.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-denies-he-agreed-to-divorce-wife-after-rabbinate-delayed-his-mothers-burial/