BeHadrei Haredim reports the Jerusalem Great Rabbinical Court overturned a ruling by the regional court approving a divorce agreement that left the woman without money or shelter.
The ruling, which was brought by attorney Moshe Shachal from the Psak Din website, stated the evidence and testimony prove the woman signed the agreement when she was in an unsound mental state and was apparently unaware of its implications.
The husband and wife became embroiled in arguments and serious claims were brought by the husband. At the end of the day, the woman signed a divorce agreement according to which the apartment would be sold and most of the proceeds would be transferred to the husband, with the exception of NIS 200,000 to be set aside for their two children.
In other words, the man would pocket a large sum (the value of the apartment was estimated at NIS 1.3 million), while the woman would receive nothing but child allowances of NIS 3,000.
In the meantime, a number of incidents occurred: the woman had two miscarriages, attempted suicide twice, and attacked her husband. She was finally convicted of violent offenses and sent to five months in prison.
Upon her release from prison, she demanded the agreement be cancelled, but the regional court rejected her claim.
In her appeal she claimed she signed the agreement while under the influence of tranquilizers and did not understand what she was doing.
The Great Court overturned the divorce agreement and judge Rabbi Shlomo Shapira wrote: "In this case, the court is obligated to rescue a person who is being oppressed and to annul the agreement."
The judge listed many other reasons for canceling the agreement. According to the ruling, the agreement was canceled and the apartment was divided equally between the spouses. The rabbinical court judges Eliezer Igra and Aharon Katz joined the verdict.
