Prenuptial Agreement:Rabbi Shalom Spira proposed correction to RCA resolution

Be-chasdei Ha-Kadosh Barukh Hu, Yishtabach Shemo


Shalom Aleikhem Ha-Rav ha-Ga'on R. Daniel Eidensohn, shlit"a, Bishvilo Nivra ha-Olam, u-Mimenu Ein Raz Ne'elam,

I think that Kevod Torato ha-Rav will appreciate this letter I sent to the President of the RCA two months ago regarding how to rectify the RCA prenuptial agreement.

Todah rabbah ve-khol tuv,

Shalom Spira
Montreal, Canada

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From: Shalom Chaim Spira
Sent: November 24, 2015 16:38
To: rabbibaum@ketertorah.org
Subject: RCA Resolution entitled `ORA; Kayama; and, Illegal Halachic Relationships`

Be-chasdei Ha-Kadosh Barukh Hu, Yishtabach Shemo

Shalom Aleikhem R. Shalom Baum, shlit"a, Nassi shel Histadrut ha-Rabbanim de-America, Yehi Noam Ha-Shem Alav, ve-Al Kol ha-Nilvim Elav,

Congratulations to Kevod Torato ha-Rav upon his appointment as President of the RCA. 

With the kind permission of Kevod Torato ha-Rav, I would like to respond to the recent RCA resolution entitled  `ORA; Kayama; and, Illegal Halachic Relationships`, available here: http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105834

The resolution calls upon every RCA member to utilize the prenuptial agreement available at <theprenup.org> for every wedding where he is mesader kiddushin. However, what the talmidei chakhamim who voted in favour of this resolution may not have realized is that R. Moshe Sternbuch recently wrote a responsum disqualifying this very same prenuptial agreement. The responsum is available at https://www.scribd.com/doc/273292099/Rav-Moshe-Sternbuch-condemns-prenuptial-agreements?secret_password=tfA9agf8H8M7dDE9Hk4N. R. Sternbuch`s responsum vindicates Section A of my prenuptial agreement essay at http://www.scribd.com/doc/176990434/Prenuptial-Agreements , which reached the same conclusion prior to R. Sternbuch (based, as my essay is, on R. J. David Bleich, Be-Netivot ha-Halakhah Vol. 1, the latter having been published two decades ago).

Of interest to Kevod Torato ha-Rav will be that my prenuptial agreement essay (which diamond-polishes R. Jacob Kamenetzky`s proposal how to rescue agunot; R. Kamenetzky having been presented with the original idea by his disciple R. J. David Bleich) was even more recently publicized in the Canadian Jewish News (Nov. 12, 2015; p. 32) in honour of Parashat Toldot, a scan of which is presently enclosed. 

Given these developments, I hope that Kevod Torato ha-Rav will encourage the RCA to reformulate its resolution to call upon every RCA member to abandon the (well-meaning albeit unfortunately disqualified) prenuptial agreement at <theprenup.org>  and to instead employ the kosher prenuptial agreement presented by my essay.

I thank Kevod Torato ha-Rav for his kindness in receiving my recommendation.

Todah rabbah ve-khol tuv,

Shalom Spira

Montreal, Canada