This report presents the opinions of the article’s authors and various rabbis consulted by the authors in regard to certain critical public issues within Jewish religious law. Each individual should consult their own rabbinic advisor for his opinion in these matters.
Are you a single Jewish man who dates any divorced Jewish women?
Are you a married Jewish lady in a divorce process who is considering utilizing the assistance of certain agunot organizations such as the Yeshiva University based Organization for the Resolution of Agunot?
In either case it’s critical that you become aware of the following issue.
In most divorce situations, the major Ashkenazi halachic authorities forbid even passively ostracizing a Jewish husband to pressure him to divorce his wife, let alone actively harassing him. Harassment, pressure, and defamation against a “divorced” woman’s husband by family courts, individuals, or the various “Agunot” organizations may easily produce an invalid (PASUL ) GET.
The children of a women who remarries and gives birth after obtaining a halachically invalid or questionable GET will have the status of MAMZERIM or SAFEK MAMZERIM. This status is extremely tragic as these various MAMZERIM are forbidden by HALACHA to marry most or ALL Jews !!!
Certain politicized modern Orthodox “rabbis” may attempt to claim that coerced GITTIN are halachically valid. But IF many or most traditional halachic authorities were to hold that the woman’s GET from her previous husband is invalid, a major tragedy could result for both the previously “divorced’ woman and her current “husband”.
A “divorced” Jewish woman who utilized any “agunot” organizations to pressure her husband during her divorce process may very well have received an invalid GET from her ex-husband and is thus still married to her ex-husband according to Jewish law (HALACHA)! Should that woman marry a second husband, her GET from her previous husband could be declared invalid by mainstream halachic authorities. In such a case the woman and her current “husband” could both be declared adulterers, and their children could be declared MAMZERIM!. The current “husband” could be ordered by a Bais Din to leave his wife, and their children could face a terribly lonely life after being declared MAMZERIM !!!
There is today significant pressure by feminist groups upon many Orthodox rabbis, and in particular upon pulpit rabbis. Many pulpit rabbis, especially pulpit rabbis in large modern Orthodox shuls, cannot be relied upon to provide non-politicized and halachically accurate advice when GITTIN matters are involved !!!
If you are a single Jewish man dating divorced Jewish women:
Any single Jewish man considering marrying a divorced woman who was previously assisted by any of the “Agunot” organizations ( such as the Yeshiva University based Organization for the Resolution of Agunot ), must carefully investigate the halachic validity of the woman’s GET before marrying her. The man must carefully determine the facts of the case, and make diligent halachic inquiries to reliable and authentic halachic authorities who are experts in GITTIN issues, who are not susceptible to political or financial pressures, and who do not subscribe to feminist ideologies.
Failure to diligently and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of a woman’s GET from a previous husband could bring a tragedies upon the next Jewish man who marries her!
If you are a Jewish lady involved in a divorce process:
Do not utilize the services of any individuals or “agunot” organizations (such as the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot ) to apply any pressure or coercion upon your husband to provide you a GET, or your “GET” could be invalidated later by traditional rabbinic authorities who comply with normative Jewish law that invalidates coerced GITTIN.
Also be aware that if you utilize a family court judge to pressure or intimidate your husband to provide a GET, that GET will be invalid according to most normative halachic authorities.
Please see the page:
Agunot Organizations Causing Agunot Crisis