- When one has to say "בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם" when bringing a גט
The opening Mishnah states: המביא גט ממדינת הים – One who brings a get from a foreign land to Eretz Yisroel, צריך שיאמר בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם – needs to state, “It was written in my presence and signed in my presence.” After Tannaim discuss bringing a get from several particular cities, the Chachomim add that one who brings a get from Eretz Yisroel to a foreign land must also say "בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם", and the Gemara will discuss if the Tanna Kamma disagrees. The Mishnah continues detailing other instances when בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם must be said such as, והמביא ממדינה למדינה במדינת הים – And one who brings [a get] from province to province in a foreign land, and according to Rabban Gamliel: אפילו מהגמוניא להגמוניא – even when bringing from one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction (governed by someone else), even inside a single province.
- The reason for saying בפני נכתב: לשמה or to confirm signatures
Two reasons are given for the ruling that the one bringing the get must say “בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם.” Rabbah says: לפי שאין בקיאין לשמה – Because people outside Eretz Yisroel are not familiar with the halachah that a get must be written for [the woman’s] sake to be divorced with. By requiring testimony about the get’s writing and signing, they will be able to ask the shaliach if it was written לשמה. Rava says: לפי שאין עדים מצויין לקיימו – Because witnesses are not available in Eretz Yisroel to confirm the get’s authenticity (since it was written outside Eretz Yisroel), should a challenge arise. They required a confirmation by the shaliach at the time of delivery to avoid later complications. Three practical differences emerge from this machlokes: (1) דאתיוהו בי תרי – where two people brought it, where establishing its being written לשמה is still necessary, but not confirming its authenticity (since these witnesses can later confirm the signatures); (2) ממדינה למדינה בארץ ישראל – from province to province inside Eretz Yisroel, where לשמה can be assumed, but later confirmation of signatures may be equally difficult; and (3) באותה מדינה במדינת הים – within the same province in a foreign land, where later confirmation of signatures should be feasible, but לשמה cannot be assumed.
- Why two עדים are not required to establish the get was written לשמה
The Gemara asks, according to Rabbah that בפני נכתב is to establish the get’s being written לשמה, why are two witnesses not required as in all cases requiring testimony? It initially answers: עד אחד נאמן באיסורין – a single witness is believed regarding prohibitions. The Gemara objects that a single witness is only accepted in a case such as a piece of fat, which is either a piece of permitted fat or a piece of forbidden fat, because there was no previously established state of prohibition; the witness is merely informing us it was never prohibited. אבל הכא דאיתחזק איסורא דאשת איש – But here, that the prohibition of “married woman” was established (while she was married), הוי דבר שבערוה – it is a matter pertaining to ervah (forbidden marital relations), ואין דבר שבערוה פחות משנים – and a matter pertaining to ervah cannot be resolved with fewer than two witnesses!? The Gemara answers: רוב בקיאין הן – Most are familiar with the לשמה requirement. Although Rebbe Meir does not rely on a simple majority, ordinary scribes are familiar with לשמה, rendering the issue very unlikely. Thus, Biblically speaking, we can assume the get was written לשמה. They allowed the Rabbinical requirement to establish that the get was written לשמה to be satisfied with a single witness, so she will not remain an agunah if two witnesses cannot be found.
