Parshas Ki Seitzei: Rebbi Akiva Eiger Gives The Convert An Ultimatum
Rebbi AkivaEiger was once in Poland visiting with the Chemdas Shlomo when a lady walked in crying for help. Her husband had decided to abandon Yiddishkeit to practice another religion. He refused to free her with a Get and left her an Aguna. The Chemdas Shlomo had tried solving the problem to no avail. Upon hearing that the great gaon and tzaddik Rebbi AkivaEiger
was in town, she thought that between these two giants, together they
could come up with a solution. After hearing this sad story Rebbi AkivaEiger
asked that every effort should be made to bring this man before him.
His friends taunted his refusal saying, "why are you scared of the old
Rabbi?" At the end he agreed to go see Rebbi AkivaEiger.
Rebbi AkivaEiger
asked him why he was so cruel and refused to give his wife a Get.
Unimpressed he stood his ground and stubbornly refused to budge. Rebbi
AkivaEiger said to him, "I heard that you learned in Yeshiva when you were younger. Surely you remember the first Mishna in Kedushin that says that you can be Koneh
a woman 3 ways and she goes out in 2 ways. Those being, with a Get or
the death of her husband." He continued, "You can either give her a
Get or she can be freed the other way, with your death." The man
laughed and walked out. As he walked down the stairs his eyes became
weak and he became very dizzy. He fell down the stairs and died on the
spot. (Pninim Al HaParsha)
printable version
