Get

What the document is

The get is a twelve-line scroll written in Imperial Aramaic. Its core message is simple: the wife is now permitted to marry any man she chooses. Writing this text requires a trained scribe who works with two witnesses present. The paper itself must be fresh and cannot be erased or pre-dated. If the ink touches anything attached to the ground, the document fails. Every detail matters because the goal is to permanently free the woman from her previous vows.

How the divorce happens

The process starts when the husband asks for the document to be made. He must want this clearly. A rabbi guides the couple through the steps. The husband gives the folded paper to his wife. She holds it against her body and walks a few paces away. This small movement finalizes the split. Without this physical exchange, the marriage remains intact in the eyes of the faith.

Refusal and consequences

Sometimes a husband will not give the paper. This leaves the woman stuck in the marriage, known as an agunah. Courts can punish him with fines or prison to force compliance. In Israel, religious courts have strong power here. Outside Israel, they rely on social pressure. Women who refuse the get are rare but do exist. Refusing to accept the document also stops the divorce from being valid.

Modern challenges

Activists fight hard against men who withhold the get. Some groups use extreme tactics like kidnapping to force the signature. These actions are illegal and have been shut down by police. Other women protest by refusing intimacy. Conservative rabbis can sometimes annul the marriage if the husband is unjust. However, Orthodox law strictly requires the original document for anyone wishing to remarry within the community.

Questions people ask about Get

See also

Marriage in CyprusA destination for civil and religious weddings that allows interfaith couples to marry outside their home laws.YibbumA Jewish rite where a brother marries his childless deceased brother's widow to continue the family line.KetubahThe Jewish marriage contract that outlines the groom's financial and personal obligations to the bride.Jewish prenuptial agreementA contract signed before the wedding to ensure a Jewish divorce can happen if one spouse refuses.

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• ‘Unchain your wife’: the Orthodox women shining a light on ‘get’ refusalThe Guardian, Article
• ‘Unchain your wife’: the Orthodox women shining a light on ‘get’ refusalThe Guardian, Article

• Get (divorce document) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Wedding customs differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.