Gittin 34B

והלכתא כנחמני.

And the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Naḥmani, i.e., Abaye, that disclosure of intent with regard to bills of divorce is disregarded.

מתני׳ בראשונה היה משנה שמו ושמה, שם עירו ושם עירה. התקין רבן גמליאל הזקן שיהא כותב: ״איש פלוני וכל שום שיש לו״, ״אשה פלונית וכל שום שיש לה״⁠ – מפני תיקון העולם.

Mishnah: Initially, the husband would change his name and her name, from the names by which they were known where they formerly lived to the names by which they were known where the bill of divorce was written, and write the name of his city and the name of her city. One was not required to list all of the names by which the husband and the wife were known, but only the names in the place where the bill of divorce was being written. Rabban Gamliel the Elder instituted that the scribe should write in the bill of divorce: The man so-and-so, and any other name that he has, and: The woman so-and-so, and any other name that she has. The reason for this ordinance was for the betterment of the world, as perhaps the people of a different city would not recognize the name written in the bill of divorce, and would claim that this bill of divorce does not belong to her.

גמ׳ אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל, שלחו ליה בני מדינת הים לרבן גמליאל: בני אדם הבאים משם לכאן, שמו יוסף ⁠– וקוראין לו יוחנן; יוחנן ⁠– וקוראין לו יוסף, היאך מגרשין נשותיהן? עמד רבן גמליאל, והתקין שיהו כותבין: ״איש פלוני וכל שום שיש לו״, ״אשה פלונית וכל שום שיש לה״⁠ – מפני תיקון העולם. אמר רב אשי: והוא דאתחזק בתרי שמי. אמר ליה רבי אבא לרב אשי: רבי מרי ורבי אלעזר קיימי כוותך.

Talmud: Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: The residents of a country overseas sent an inquiry to Rabban Gamliel: With regard to people who come from there, Eretz Yisrael, to here, For example: someone whose name is Yosef but here they call him Yoḥanan, or someone whose name is Yoḥanan, but here they call him Yosef, how do they write bills of divorce to effectively divorce their wives? Rabban Gamliel arose and instituted that they should write: The man so-and-so, and any other name that he has, the woman so-and-so, and any other name that she has, for the betterment of the world. Rav Ashi said: And this applies only when he is known by two names. R' Abba said to Rav Ashi: R' Mari and R' Elazar hold in accordance with your opinion.