Rabbinical Courts Law (Compliance with Divorce Judgments), 5755-1995
חוק בתי דין רבניים (קיום פסקי דין של גירושין), תשנ"ה-1995
Published: 1995-03-02Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-01 · Last amended 2024-08-08✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Compliance with a Divorce Judgment§
1.
(a)Where a Rabbinical Court has determined, in a judgment or decision (in this Law – judgment), in language of compulsion, obligation or commandment or in any other language including a recommendation, that a man shall give his wife a get or that the parties shall be divorced, and the man has not complied with the judgment, the court may, for the purpose of bringing about compliance with the judgment, order, in accordance with the provisions of section 4, the imposition of a restriction order, one or more, under this Law, as defined in section 2, 2a, 3, 3a, 3b or 3c (in this Law – restriction order).
(b)Where the judgment referred to in subsection (a) employs language of compulsion, obligation or commandment, and the court has not determined otherwise, restriction orders may be imposed if the judgment is not complied with; where the judgment employs other language, the court shall determine whether the judgment permits the ordering of restriction orders.
(c)Where a Rabbinical Court has determined in a judgment that a woman shall receive a get from her husband, and the woman has not complied with the judgment, the court may, with the approval of the President of the Great Rabbinical Court and for the purpose of bringing about compliance with the judgment, issue a restriction order against her.
(d)The provisions of section 6 shall not apply to a restriction order issued under subsection (c).
(e)The President of the Great Rabbinical Court shall not grant approval unless he has heard the arguments of the parties in the presence of the parties; if a party did not appear at the hearing even though duly summoned, the order may be issued in that party's absence.
(f)Where a restriction order has been issued against a woman pursuant to the provisions of subsection (c), an application by the husband for a permit to remarry shall not be heard until the expiry of three years from the date of issuance of the restriction order.
(g)Service of a restriction order shall be subject to the provisions made under section 27 of the Dayanim Law, 5715-1955.
Content of a Restriction Order§
2.
(a)Without derogating from the authority of the Rabbinical Court under the Religious Courts Law (Enforcement of Compliance), 5716-1956, the Rabbinical Court may, in a restriction order, restrict the following rights, all or some of them, for a period and on conditions to be determined:
(1)to leave the country;
(2)to receive an Israeli passport or travel document under the Passports Law, 5712-1952, to hold them or to extend their validity, provided that they remain valid for the purpose of returning to Israel;
(3)to receive, hold or renew a driving licence or to drive a motor vehicle as defined in the Traffic Ordinance [New Version];
(4)to be appointed, elected or to serve in an office under law or in an office in an audited body as defined in the State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Consolidated Version];
(5)to engage in a profession the practice of which is regulated under law or to operate a business requiring licensing or a permit under law;
(6)to draw cheques from a bank account by way of designation as a specially restricted customer, as defined in the Cheques Without Cover Law, 5741-1981;
(6a)
(a)to open an account in a supervised financial body (in this paragraph – account) or to carry out any transaction in such an account, whether alone or with another, including through an authorised signatory in the account, or to be an authorised signatory or proxy in another person's account, and the court may exempt a transaction or categories of transactions in an account from the order (in this paragraph – account freezing order);
(b)notwithstanding the provisions of sub-paragraph (a), the Rabbinical Court shall not issue an account freezing order unless the following conditions are met:
(1)it has taken into account the damage that may be caused by the issuance of the order to the person in whose favour the judgment was given, including, inter alia, due to non-payment of debts to third parties;
(2)if there was a partner in the account – it gave that partner an opportunity to be heard and examined the options available; for this purpose the court may issue an order directing a supervised financial body to provide the court with information in its possession regarding the names of the account holders, the authorised signatories in the account, their identity numbers, their addresses, telephone numbers for contacting them and their electronic mail addresses;
(c)notwithstanding the provisions of sub-paragraph (a), the Rabbinical Court shall not issue an account freezing order if the person against whom the order is issued is an authorised signatory in that account solely by virtue of a continuing power of attorney or by virtue of a guardianship appointment order;
(d)where an account freezing order has been issued, the supervised financial body shall act only in accordance with the provisions of the order served upon it;
(e)in this paragraph –
"supervised financial body" – as defined in the Payment Services Law, 5779-2019;
"continuing power of attorney" and "guardianship appointment order" – as defined in the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law, 5722-1962;
"partner" – a partner or authorised signatory in the account who is not a party to the proceeding in which the judgment was given;
(6b)to establish a corporation or to be an interested party in a corporation, including through another; and if the person against whom the order was issued participated in the establishment of a corporation or was an interested party in a corporation – to give instructions regarding the cessation of being an interested party in the corporation; nothing in the provisions of this paragraph or in the breach thereof shall derogate from the validity of the incorporation or any legal act of a corporation in which the person against whom the order was issued was a founder or interested party as aforesaid; for this purpose, "interested party" – as defined in the Securities Law, 5728-1968, and in relation to a corporation that has no share capital – a member of the corporation or a member of the committee or management of that corporation;
(6c)to serve as a trustee or in a similar role in a trust;
(6d)to use a debit card, as defined in the Banking (Licensing) Law, 5741-1981; a restriction under this paragraph shall have the same legal effect as the termination of a payment services contract vis-à-vis the person against whom the restriction order was issued; for this purpose, the date of termination of the contract shall be deemed to be the end of the business day following the date of receipt of the restriction order by the supervised financial body;
(7)where the person against whom the restriction order was issued is a prisoner or detainee –
(a)to receive special leave under section 36 of the Prisons Ordinance [New Version], 5732-1971 (hereinafter – the Ordinance);
(b)to receive and send letters, except for court documents or letters to or from his lawyer, to or from a rabbinical pleader, and to or from the State Comptroller;
(c)to receive visitors, except for the following: a lawyer, a clergyman, a rabbinical pleader, an official inspector, and the minor children of the prisoner or detainee in respect of whose visits a competent court or tribunal has made provisions; nothing in a restriction order issued under this paragraph shall prevent the governor of a prison or detention centre from permitting a visit to a prisoner or detainee if satisfied that the visit is likely to bring about compliance with the judgment;
(d)to hold personal items in the prison or detention centre, except for items required for the preservation of his health and documents related to his investigation or trial;
(e)to work in employment for which a wage is paid;
(f)to purchase provisions in the prison or detention centre, except for provisions required for the preservation of his health;
(g)to be released on parole from serving the remainder of his imprisonment term under sections 2 or 3 of the Conditional Release from Imprisonment Law, 5761-2001, except for release as aforesaid due to chronic illness;
(h)to be released by administrative release under Section I-1 of Chapter II of the Ordinance;
(i)(Repealed)
(j)to participate in any educational framework conducted in the prison, notwithstanding the provisions of any law;
(k)to receive, upon request, food meeting special kashrut requirements determined under the provisions of the Ordinance, which is not supplied to all prisoners, provided that the food supplied to all prisoners in the prison includes basic provisions meeting kashrut requirements as aforesaid;
(l)to reside in a special wing in the prison designated for observant prisoners, notwithstanding the provisions of any law;
(m)to wear his personal clothing; where a Rabbinical Court so orders, the prisoner or detainee shall be required to wear prison clothing in public areas of the prison or outside it.
(b)Without derogating from the authority of the Rabbinical Court under section 7a of the Religious Courts Law (Enforcement of Compliance and Procedure), 5716-1956, and from the provisions of subsection (a), the Rabbinical Court may, in a restriction order –
(1)impose, notwithstanding the provisions of any law, a garnishment on a benefit or pension paid under a legislative provision, except for a benefit under the Income Support Law, 5741-1980 (hereinafter – income support benefit), for the purpose of collecting a maintenance debt owed under a judgment to the wife or child of the person against whom the order was issued;
(2)order the seizure of any asset of the person against whom the order was issued, whether movable property or real property, the registration of a garnishment thereon or the appointment of a receiver thereover, and to instruct the receiver as to what shall be done with the asset and its produce for as long as the order is in force; an order under this paragraph shall not derogate from the right of a creditor, including any person who is dependent on the person against whom the order was issued, to levy execution against those assets;
(3)impose a fine, for the purpose of bringing about compliance with the divorce judgment and having regard to the financial circumstances of the person against whom the order was issued; where the judgment is complied with, the fine that has been imposed shall remain in force, unless the court has determined that the fine or part thereof is to be cancelled.
Restriction Order – Suspension and Deprivation of Benefit or Pension§
2a.
(a)Where the court has issued a restriction order as defined in section 2, and the person against whom the order was issued has not complied with the judgment within 30 days of the date of issuance of the order, the court may, in a restriction order, direct the suspension or deprivation of a benefit or pension paid to him under a legislative provision, for a period not exceeding six months, and the Rabbinical Court may extend it for additional periods as aforesaid, all as set out below:
(1)in the first month after the restriction order was issued – suspension at a rate not exceeding 25% of the benefit or pension;
(2)from the second month after the restriction order was issued – suspension at a rate not exceeding 50% of the benefit or pension;
(3)from the seventh month after the restriction order was first issued under the provisions of this subsection – suspension or deprivation at a rate not exceeding 50% of the benefit or pension, including deprivation of the entire benefit or pension that was suspended up to that date; the Rabbinical Court shall not order the deprivation of a benefit or pension as referred to in this paragraph unless it is satisfied that compliance with a divorce judgment cannot be brought about by another means under this Law, and for reasons that shall be recorded.
(b)The Rabbinical Court shall not order the suspension or deprivation of an income support benefit unless it is satisfied that compliance with a divorce judgment cannot be brought about even by way of a restriction order under subsection (a), and for reasons that shall be recorded.
(c)Nothing in the provisions of this section shall derogate from the authority of the Rabbinical Court under section 7a of the Religious Courts Law (Enforcement of Compliance and Procedure), 5716-1956, and from the provisions of section 2.
Restriction Order – Coercive Imprisonment§
3.
(a)Where a Rabbinical Court has ordered, in a restriction order, that a person be coerced by imprisonment to comply with the judgment (hereinafter – coercive imprisonment), the provisions of section 6(3) to (5) of the Contempt of Court Ordinance shall apply, except that instead of "the court that imposed the imprisonment" there shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Law, to be stated "the Rabbinical Court that issued the order", and consequential changes shall apply.
(b)The period of coercive imprisonment shall not exceed five years; however, the court may, if it is of the opinion that it is required for compliance with the judgment, extend it from time to time, provided that the total period of coercive imprisonment shall not exceed ten years.
Restriction Order – Isolation§
3a.
(a)Where the court has issued a restriction order under section 2(a)(7) against a prisoner or detainee, and the person against whom the order was issued has not complied with the judgment within 30 days of the date of issuance of the order, the court may order, in a restriction order, that he be held in isolation for a period not exceeding fourteen days and for as long as he has not complied with the judgment.
(a1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (c), the court may order, in a restriction order, that the person against whom the order was issued be held in isolation as referred to in subsection (a), even if 30 days have not yet elapsed from the date of issuance of a restriction order under section 2(a)(7), provided that 30 days have elapsed since he has been in imprisonment or detention and special circumstances exist that shall be recorded.
(b)The court may order isolation under this section for additional periods for as long as the person has not complied with the judgment, provided that the court shall deliberate on its decision to order periods of isolation as aforesaid at least once every ninety days.
(c)The provisions of this section shall not apply to a detainee held in detention for a period not exceeding 3 months.
(d)A restriction order under this section shall be executed at a time to be determined by the commander of the detention facility, as close as possible to the date of issuance of the order.
(e)A person whom the court has ordered to be held in isolation under subsection (a), (a1) or (b) shall not be held in isolation for more than seven consecutive days, and there shall be an interval of seven days between one period of isolation of seven consecutive days and any additional period of isolation.
(f)Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, where the court has ordered that a person be held in isolation under subsection (a), (a1) or (b), it may order that that person shall not be entitled to hold writing implements or reading material in isolation, except for a prayer book, and also that he shall be prohibited from maintaining telephone contact.
Restriction Order – Coercive Compliance Payments§
3b.
The court may, in a restriction order, impose on the person against whom the order was issued coercive compliance payments for the benefit of the person in whose favour the judgment was given, by way of periodic payments or otherwise, for the purpose of bringing about compliance with the divorce judgment and having regard to the financial circumstances of the person against whom the order was issued; where the judgment is complied with, the payment shall remain in force, unless the court has determined, for special reasons that shall be recorded, that a payment, in whole or in part, that has not yet been collected, is to be cancelled; nothing in the provisions of this section shall derogate from maintenance due to a woman whose get is being withheld.
Restriction Order – Rabbenu Tam Distancing Measures§
3c.
(a)The court may declare, in a restriction order, that Rabbenu Tam distancing measures shall apply to the person against whom the judgment was given or to a person whom the court is satisfied is urging or demanding that the person against whom the judgment was given breach it or is causing that person to breach it; for this purpose, "Rabbenu Tam distancing measures" – religious, social and economic distancing measures imposed by the court under Torah law on account of get refusal, including in relation to counting that person in a minyan, speaking with him, conducting business with him, hosting him or visiting him during illness.
(b)A declaration under subsection (a) shall not be enforceable against a third party, and section 7a of the Religious Courts Law (Enforcement of Compliance and Procedure), 5716-1956, shall not apply against a third party as aforesaid.
(c)An act performed by a person in accordance with a restriction order issued under subsection (a) shall not serve as grounds for a civil claim against that person.
Arrangement of Get and Hearing on Restriction Order§
4.
(a)
(1)Where a judgment has been given as referred to in section 1, other than a judgment referred to in paragraph (2), the Rabbinical Court shall set a date for the arrangement of the get not later than 45 days from the date of the judgment; if the get has not been arranged, the court shall hold, within 45 days of that date, a hearing at which it shall deliberate on the issuance of a restriction order;
(2)Where the Rabbinical Court has given a judgment approving a divorce agreement between the parties and conferring upon it the force of a judgment, it shall set a date for the arrangement of the get not later than 45 days from the date of the judgment;
(3)The Rabbinical Court shall inform the parties of its authority to issue a restriction order if the judgment is not complied with;
(4)Where the Rabbinical Court has given a decision determining that the judgment it gave does not permit the imposition of a restriction order, it shall set a date for the arrangement of the get not later than 45 days from the date of the judgment; if the get has not been arranged, the Rabbinical Court shall hold a hearing not later than 45 days from the date of the hearing, at which it shall re-examine whether to give a judgment that would permit the imposition of a restriction order, and if it determines that it is still not possible to give a judgment that would permit the imposition of a restriction order, it shall again set a hearing not later than 90 days from the date of the hearing, unless it has determined, for special reasons that shall be recorded, a later date; the court shall continue to set hearings as referred to in this subsection until the get is given or until the person in whose favour the judgment was given requests that no further hearings be held on the matter.
(a1)A restriction order shall not be issued unless every party to the proceedings has been given an opportunity to be heard; if a party did not appear at the hearing even though duly summoned, the order may be issued in that party's absence.
(a2)The Rabbinical Court's decision on the issuance of a restriction order shall be given not later than 21 days from the date of the hearing; a restriction order shall come into force on the date of its issuance.
(b)In considering whether to issue a restriction order, the Rabbinical Court shall consider the course of action required to bring about compliance with the judgment, having regard to the circumstances of the matter, and taking into account, inter alia, the state of health of the person against whom the order is sought and the implications for those dependent on him, and if the order directly affects a third party – the implications for that party; the decision of the court shall be reasoned.
(c)Subject to the provisions of this Law, and insofar as it deems it necessary for compliance with the judgment, the Rabbinical Court may, at any time after the judgment has been given, issue a restriction order or modify a restriction order it has issued, all whether on its own initiative or at the request of a party or of a person who may be affected thereby; however, the court shall not postpone the date on which a restriction order it has issued comes into force, unless it is of the opinion that doing so is required by the special circumstances of the matter.
(c1)
(1)Where a restriction order has been issued, the Rabbinical Court shall set, within 90 days of the date of issuance of the order, a date for a follow-up hearing at which it shall examine the need to modify the order or to make it more stringent in order to bring about compliance with the judgment, if it has not been complied with by that date;
(2)Where no restriction order has been issued in relation to a judgment as referred to in subsection (a)(1), and no appeal has been filed thereon as referred to in section 4a(b), the Rabbinical Court shall set, within 45 days of its decision, a date for a follow-up hearing at which it shall re-examine the need to impose a restriction order in order to bring about compliance with the judgment, if it has not been complied with by that date;
(3)The court shall continue to set follow-up hearings at the times referred to in this subsection until the judgment is complied with; a follow-up hearing under this subsection may be conducted before a single dayan; if the dayan is of the opinion that in the circumstances of the matter it is justified to impose or modify a restriction order, he shall refer the matter for hearing before a panel to be held within 15 days.
(d)(Repealed)
Appeal§
4a.
(a)Where a restriction order has been issued and an appeal has been filed against the judgment or against the restriction order, the execution of the restriction order shall not be stayed; however, the Great Rabbinical Court may, for reasons that shall be recorded, order a stay of execution until the appeal is determined.
(b)Where the Rabbinical Court has held a hearing as referred to in section 4(a), and no restriction order has been issued within 21 days of the date of the hearing, this shall be deemed to be a decision not to issue a restriction order, and a party may appeal against such decision before the Great Rabbinical Court within 60 days of the date of the hearing; the provisions applicable to a hearing on the issuance of a restriction order shall apply to the hearing before the Great Rabbinical Court, provided that follow-up hearings as referred to in section 4(a)(4) or (c1) shall be conducted before a dayan of the Great Rabbinical Court.
(c)
(1)The Great Rabbinical Court shall hear the appeal within 60 days of the date of its filing;
(2)The decision of the Great Rabbinical Court on an appeal against a judgment or a restriction order shall be given within 60 days of the date of the hearing of the appeal;
(3)The decision of the Great Rabbinical Court on an appeal against a decision not to issue a restriction order shall be given within 30 days of the date of the hearing of the appeal.
Expiry of a Restriction Order§
5.
(a)A restriction order shall expire upon the dissolution of the marriage.
(b)Where an account freezing order under section 2(a)(6a) has been served on a supervised financial body, and the marriage has been dissolved, notice of the expiry of the order shall be served on that body.
Compulsion to Grant Chalitza§
6.
Where a Rabbinical Court has decided that a man shall grant chalitza to his deceased brother's widow, and the man has not performed the chalitza, the Rabbinical Court may, upon the expiry of thirty days from the date of the decision, issue a restriction order against the man, and the provisions of sections 2, 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4 and 4a shall apply, with the necessary modifications.
Savings provisions§
7.
This Law shall not derogate from the powers of a Rabbinical Court or of a court under any law.
Application§
8.
The provisions of this Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, also to a judgment given before the commencement of this Law.
Implementation and regulations§
9.
The Minister of Justice is charged with the implementation of this Law and may, with the consent of the President of the Great Rabbinical Court and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, make Regulations on any matter relating to its implementation; Regulations concerning the issuance of restriction orders against prisoners and detainees shall be made in consultation also with the Minister for Internal Security.
10.§
(Repealed — תשנ״ח)
Amendment of the Rabbinical Courts Jurisdiction (Marriage and Divorce) Law§
11.
In the Rabbinical Courts Jurisdiction (Marriage and Divorce) Law, 5713-1953, in section 6 thereof, instead of "six months" there shall come "sixty days".
Report to the Knesset – temporary provision§
12.
The Minister of Justice and the administration of the Rabbinical Courts shall report, in the month of July, once a year for five years, to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, on compliance with judgments, on the issuance of restriction orders and on their execution.
Report to the Knesset§
13.
The Minister of Justice and the administration of the Rabbinical Courts shall report, in the month of July, once a year, to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, on the number of judgments referred to in section 1 that were given in language of compulsion, obligation or commandment and on the number of judgments as aforesaid in which other language was used, and the restriction orders that were issued according to the language of the judgment.
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LawAdministrative LawFamily Law
חוק בתי דין רבניים (קיום פסקי דין של גירושין), תשנ"ה-1995
Rabbinical Courts Law
Compliance with Divorce Judgments Law
Battei Din Rabaniim Law
divorce judgments enforcement
rabbinical court enforcement
Gittin Law
get enforcement
Jewish divorce law
5755-1995