משנה: אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי וְכִי מִפְּנֵי מָה הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁנִּתְחָֽרְשָּׁה יוֹצְאָה וְהָאִישׁ שֶׁנִּתְחָרַשׁ אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ אֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה הָאִישׁ הַמְגָרֵשׁ לָאִשָּׁה הַמִּתְגָּרֶשֶׁת שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה יוֹצְאָה לִרְצוֹנָהּ וְשֶׁלֹּא לִרְצוֹנָהּ וְהָאִישׁ אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֶלָּא לִרְצוֹנוֹ. הֵעִיד רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן גּוּדְגָּדָה עַל הַחֵרֶשֶׁת שֶׁהִשִּׂיאָהּ אָבִיהָ שֶׁהִיא יוֹצְאָה בְגֵט אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ אַף זוֹ כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהּ. MISHNAH: Rebbi Joḥanan ben Nuri said, why can a deaf-mute woman be divorced but a deaf-mute man cannot divorce? They told him, a divorcing man is not comparable to a divorced woman since a woman can be divorced with or against her will20By talmudic standards. By an institution of R. Gershon ben Jehudah (Mayence, about the year 1000), European Jews were forbidden to divorce without the wife’s consent (except in cases where the law forces the husband to divorce). but a man divorces only by his own will21If the court coerces a recalcitrant husband to give a divorce, they have to coerce him “until he says, I want to do it.”.
Rebbi Joḥanan ben Gudgada22A Tanna, about one generation older than R. Joḥanan ben Nuri. His testimony is also in Eduyot 7:9" href="/Mishnah_Eduyot.7.9">Mishnah Idiut 7:9, Gittin 5:6:2-6" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.5.6.2-6">Giṭṭin 5:5. testified about a deaf-mute girl who was married off by her father23When she was a minor and was passive in the marriage. She is married by biblical standards. that she could be divorced by a bill of divorce. They said to him24To R. Joḥanan ben Nuri, that in principle, the biblical marriage of an incompetent person can be dissolved by divorce., that is an example.
הלכה: הֵעִיד רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי כול׳. רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי הִילָא. נִרְאִין דְּבָרִים בְּפִיקַּחַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ דַּעַת שֶׁהִיא יוֹצְאָה בֵּין לְדַעַת בֵין שֶׁלֹּא לְדַעַת. וְחֵרֶשֶׁת שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ דַּעַת לֹא תֵצֵא אֶלָּא לְדַעַת. וְלֹא עֵידוּת הִיא. אַף זוֹ כְיוֹצֵא בָהּ וּמוֹסִיפִין עַל הָעֵדוּת. וְרִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה סָבַר מֵימַר בְּפִיקַּחַת שֶׁהִשִּׂיאָהּ אָבִיהָ וְנִתְחָֽרְשָׁה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה סָבַר מֵימַר בִּקְטַנָּה שֶׁהִשִּׂיאָהּ אָבִיהָ וְנִתְגָּֽרְשָׁה. HALAKHAH: “Rebbi Joḥanan ben Nuri25A scribal error. testified,” etc. Rebbi Ḥananiah asked before Rebbi Hila. The matters seem reasonable for a hearing woman of sound mind, that she is divorced with or without her acquiescence. But a deaf-mute woman who has no will should not be divorced except with her acquiescence. But is it not testimony “that is an example”; does one add to a testimony26If the Mishnah was included in Idiut it is proof that the testimony was checked and found truly to reflect old practice.? But Rebbi Ḥanania is of the opinion that this deals with a hearing girl who was married off by her father and became deaf-and-dumb27Since the marriage was valid by biblical standards, the divorce follows biblical rules.. Rebbi Yose is of the opinion that this deals with an underage girl28Already deaf-mute. Since she is not an orphan, she can be married off legally, not only if deaf-mute but even if insane. who was married off by her father and became divorced.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. לֵית כֵּן עַל רֹאשָׁהּ. אִית כֵּן עַל סוֹפָהּ. מַה אִית כֵּן עַל רֹאשָׁהּ. כְּשֶׁהָיָה חֵרֵשׁ בַּעַל הַחֵרֶשֶׁת פִּיקֵּחַ בַּעַל הַפִּיקַּחַת. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה חֵרֵשׁ בַּעַל הַפִּיקַּחַת פִּיקֵּחַ בַּעַל הַחֵרֶשֶׁת הָדָא הִיא דְתַנִּינָן דְּבָתָר דְּבָתָר דְּבַתְרָא. Rebbi Joḥanan said29That is a note only on the order of the following Mishnaiot. R. Joḥanan notes that it would have been more reasonable to start in both series (sisters or unrelated women) with the totally unproblematic case and to introduce the complications later., there is nothing to be learned from the beginning, but there is something to be learned from the end. What is there at the beginning? If the deaf-mute [brother] was the husband of the deaf-mute [woman] and the hearing the husband of the hearing. But if the deaf-mute [brother] was the husband of the hearing [woman] and the hearing the husband of the deaf-mute, that should have been stated at the very end.