- Get signed by a Kusi, machlokes about Kusim’s reliability for mitzvos
The next Mishnah teaches the second similarity between גט אשה and גט שחרור: כל גט שיש עליו עד כותי פסול – Any document which has a Kusi signed onto it is invalid, because their testimony is unreliable, חוץ מגיטי נשים ושחרורי עבדים – except for women’s gittin and גיטי שחרור. The Gemara questions the Mishnah’s ruling, based on a machlokes about Kusim’s reliability for mitzvos: מצת כותי מותרת ואדם יוצא בה ידי חובתו בפסח – Matzah prepared by a Kusi is permitted to eat on Pesach, and there is no chometz concern, and one is yotzei his obligation to eat matzah with it (and we can even assume he prepared it with the required mitzvah intent). Rebbe Elazar prohibits its consumption, לפי שאין בקיאין בדקדוקי מצות – because they are not experts in the details of mitzvos, and it may be chometz. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: כל מצוה שהחזיקו בה כותים – Any mitzvah that Kusim adopted, even those not written explicitly in the Torah, הרבה מדקדקין בה יותר מישראל – they are much more careful about it than ordinary Jews are. The Gemara asks that none of these Tannaim would make a distinction between gittin and other documents; either they should all be valid, or all be invalid. Thus, our Mishna, which does make a distinction between gittin and other documents, cannot follow any of these Tannaim.
- A Kusi signature on a get is considered reliable when a Yisroel signed under it
The Gemara explains that the Tanna of our Mishnah is Rebbe Elazar, who does not consider Kusim reliable, וכגון דחתים ישראל לבסוף – and it is a case where the Yisroel signed at the end, after the Kusi, דאי לאו דכותי חבר הוה לא מחתים ליה מקמיה – because if the Kusi were not a chaver (i.e., reliable regarding mitzvos), [the Yisroel] would not have let him sign before him. Therefore, a single Kusi signature can be validated, but if both witnesses are Kusim, neither is validated. Other documents cannot be validated even if the Yisroel signed under the Kusi, because it is possible that רווחא שבק למאן דקשיש מיניה – he [the Yisroel] left a space for [another Yisroel] older than he. That is, although the Yisroel signed first, he respectfully left a space at the top, thinking than an older Yisroel would sign afterwards, but instead, a Kusi came and signed above his signature. Thus, his signature is not necessarily an endorsement of the Kusi. Rav Pappa explains that this is not a concern regarding gittin: זאת אומרת עדי הגט אין חותמין זה בלא זה – This Mishnah tells us that witnesses of a get do not sign one without the other. Because they must sign together, the Yisroel must have seen the Kusi sign at the top, so signing underneath him confirms the Kusi’s reliability.
- Documents and gittin signed in idolators’ courts
The next Mishnah teaches the third similarity between gittin and גיטי שחרור: כל השטרות העולים בערכאות של עובדי כוכבים – All documents processed in courts of idolators, אף על פי שחותמיהם עובדי כוכבים כשירים – even though the signers are idolators, are still valid, חוץ מגיטי נשים ושחרורי עבדים – except for women’s gittin and גיטי שחרור. Rebbe Shimon says that even gittin and גיטי שחרור are valid, as the Gemara will explain. The Mishnah implies that even a שטר מתנה – a gift document (which effects the transaction) made in idolators’ courts is valid. The Gemara wonders how such a document, which has no Jewish signatures, can effect a transaction. Shmuel answers: דינא דמלכותא דינא – The law of the government (which considers such documents legitimate) is law even regarding Jewish law. The Gemara offers an alternative: תני חוץ מכגיטי נשים – Teach the Mishnah as saying, “except for documents like women’s gittin.” This exception of documents that are invalid includes any document effecting a transaction, including gift documents.
