Auction 13
Lot 103:
Made according to the most stringent halakhic requirements, extremely rare. Before us is an item that was in use in the Beit Din in Europe in the 18-19th century, about which a little more info is given: When a woman was widowed from her husband without having any children, and the husband had brothers (even married ones), the process of halitzah was required by the Beit Din before she could marry anyone else. As part of the halitzah ceremony, the widows and brother (the Yavam) state their lack of desire to marry one another and to procreate for the benefit of the deceased. After the dayanim made sure that they wish to undergo halitza and not yibum (marriage), they invite a number of witnesses to be present during the siddur halitza, in order to give the halitza the proper validity. The ceremony itself is composed of quoting a number of pesukim in the Torah on the issue of the halitzah, and the carrying out of the tasks enumerated in them: the woman says the pasuk directed towards the witnesses and dayanim. The dayanim appoint those present witnesses to the halitza. They bring the brother (yavam) a shoe found in the Beit Din especially for this purpose, which he ties to his foot. The shoe has a high ankle, made of one piece of leather, not sewn with linen thread, which has undergone stringent examination according to all relevant halachot. The man ties it onto his right foot, and ties the laces onto his ankle. The man is asked by the Beit Din whether he is prepared to l’yavem the wife of his dead brother, and take the woman as his wife to procreate on behalf of his brother. He answers according to a pasuk from the Torah. A number of additional questions are asked. After his answers, the woman approaches him (according to the directives of the dayanim), unlaces the shoe and takes it off (an act symbolizing his humiliation because he is not willing to l’yavem her). The woman throws the shoe on the ground between them and spits on the ground, in the direction of the shoe, as described in the pesukim (it should be noted that “b’panav” in the pasuk does not mean she must spit in his face, but only in his presence, next to him). After the shoe is thrown and she spits, she says one last pasuk. The dayanim sign a bill of halitza (shtar halitza), which approves that the halitzah has taken place. Extremely rare. Origin: Private collection.
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