ABSTRACT
Biblical law specifies the procedure for divorce. The bill of divorce is to be drawn up by a scribe following a formula based on mishnaic law. Conversely, a man was not allowed to remarry his divorced wife if she had married another person and had been divorced or widowed. Jewish law stipulates that the woman's consent to a divorce is not necessary, and the get can be given to her against her will. Throughout history a number of modifications have been made to divorce legislation. In the Middle Ages Rabbenu Gershom brought about a fundamental change in the law of divorce among Ashkenazim as well as some Sephardi communities. Within Reform Judaism the traditional practice of granting a bill of divorce has been abandoned. Instead civil divorce is regarded as valid. For this reason there has been no attempt within Reform Judaism to formulate a policy dealing with the status of the agunah.
