A man who refused to give his wife a divorce for four years, even though he was jailed for it, suddenly agreed this week – and the woman is now freed.
The drama occurred in and outside of the Jerusalem District Rabbinical Court this week. The estranged hareidi-religious couple separated several years ago because of the husband’s violence towards his wife and children. Though the court ruled that he must serve his wife with a get (Jewish divorce), he refused to do so for four years. At one point, the court took the unusual step of ruling that the divorce must be forced, by jailing the husband until he agrees, but this did not work either.
A key Halakhic [Jewish legal] requirement in the get process is the complete acquiescence of both parties to the proceedings.
In the meanwhile, the case received an extra complication when the husband was hospitalized in a mental institution and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
A few days ago, the dramatic turnabout occurred: The police rabbi in the Russian Compound police headquarters in Jerusalem managed to convince the recalcitrant husband that it was time to put an end to the saga and give the desired divorce.
The wheels began turning immediately, before he could change his mind. Court Secretary Moshe Biton managed to call a session for the very next day, coordinating it with the husband, wife, their lawyers, and others who had to be present.
The rabbinical court session took several hours, yet it solved what normally takes months: finding an agreed-upon manner in which to divide the property and arranging custody over the children. Court President Rabbi Yifrach also held a long discussion with the husband, ensuring that he understood the proceedings and was qualified by Halakhic standards to give the get.
In the afternoon hours, the actual get was written and given, in the presence of two witnesses from the Eida Hareidit, and the woman – considered until now an agunah, a “chained woman” = is now “unshackled” and free to remarry.