Guitin - The Steinsaltz Talmud T21 (color), Biblieurope editions

The Steinsaltz Talmud T21

Guitin

Translated paragraph by paragraph
Commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz

Drahi Edition - Color

Biblieurope Editions

The new edition of the Steinsaltz Talmud in French aims, like the previous one, to give everyone, regardless of their level, access to the Talmudic text – originally written without punctuation or vowels, in a concise style, in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, a language little known to most readers.

In the second half of the ^20th century, Rabbi Steinsaltz, of blessed memory, pioneered the work of publishing a punctuated and vocalized edition in Hebrew, and later in other languages. This edition presents the correspondence of each word of the Talmud in bold, with explanations added in regular type, essential for understanding each sentence and following the Gemara step by step.

In this edition, the text of the Talmud is divided into paragraphs, translated as they appear. It includes numerous studies and halakha taken from the Steinsaltz edition in Hebrew, summarizing the main commentaries and the conclusions of the decisors on each topic addressed. It is enriched new illustrations.

At the end of each book, it includes the original text of the treatise according to the classical Vilna edition, with the commentary of Rashi – which, here, is punctuated and vocalized – and that of the Tosafot, also punctuated.

We hope that this publication will achieve the goal that Rav Steinsaltz zal sought throughout his life: to enable every Jew to know and appreciate his ancestral heritage in order to strengthen the love of the Torah among the people.

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Guitin

The penultimate treatise of the Seder Nashim (“The Gathering of Women”), Gittin is devoted to the procedure of divorce – the causes of the dissolution of marriage being expounded in other parts of the Talmud.

Divorce is the only legal act that can annul the prohibition of adultery engendered by the mutual commitments between spouses; therefore, the Torah establishes an analogy between their laws.

Scripture only briefly mentions the rules of divorce (Deut. 24:1–4), but the Sages established precise legislation.

According to the biblical text, a man divorces his wife by giving her a declaratory document— a sefer keritout , "a book of separation," called a get in rabbinic literature—written specifically for her, by which he releases her from her obligations and severs all their ties. It is therefore necessary to understand the conditions that the husband can stipulate without invalidating the document.

A divorce decree must be dated and initialed by witnesses, as it also serves as proof. It establishes the date from which the woman is authorized to remarry and is once again financially independent: she is no longer financially dependent on her husband, and the usufruct of the dowry property reverts to her.

The Sages deduced through exegesis that the husband may file the divorce papers on property belonging to his wife or have them delivered to her through an intermediary. She, too, has the right to appoint a representative to receive the document on her behalf. The spouses' ability to delegate their powers allows for divorce proceedings to be carried out remotely, but risks creating complications should the husband contest the divorce or the document or power of attorney be invalidated. Therefore, "for the good of the world," the Sages established rabbinic ordinances—notably in the fifth chapter, which also includes several pages of Agada on the destruction of the Temple and the Land of Israel—as well as… medical prescriptions. The treatise concludes with allegorical teachings on divorce.

Biblieurope Editions