Jewish Divorce (Get): Rabbinical Court Process Explained

After years of public dispute, Michal Rand has agreed to accept a religious divorce (get) from her husband, Israeli singer and actor Shuli Rand.

Approximately six years ago, Shuli Rand married television presenter Tzofit Grant in a small, private ceremony in the Jerusalem hills, attended only by close family and friends. At the time, he remained legally married to Michal, his first wife and the mother of his children.

Before his second marriage, Rand petitioned a rabbinical court (beit din) for permission to marry a second wife through a heter meah rabbanim, a dispensation from one hundred rabbis. The court granted his request, ruling that his first wife was refusing to accept a divorce, and in an unusual step, permitted him to proceed with a second marriage before finalizing his first divorce.

Under traditional Jewish law, men may marry multiple wives, but this practice has been prohibited since the medieval ban of Rabbeinu Gershom, except in exceptional cases requiring approval from one hundred rabbis.

On Tuesday, Michal Rand went live on Facebook to share the news of the finalized divorce, discussing the emotional complexity of the moment and the financial settlement she received.

"I just wanted to tell you before you hear it from others - I'm getting divorced today," she began. "Blessed be G-d, thank G-d, thank you Father for everything you do, for doing good. And I'm receiving the 180,000 shekels, which for me is truly news of the beginning of redemption."

Michal asked her followers for spiritual support: "If you feel like lighting a candle for a tzaddik, that's always good. Please pray for me that I'll be healthy enough to enjoy this divorce, because I'm already quite weak, honestly, I can't do things I used to do."

She also revealed an unexpected connection with Tzofit Grant, Shuli's current wife: "I spoke with Tzofit yesterday. It turns out we have the same heart condition, we take the same medications. Life... is not simple at all."

Despite expressing relief at the finalization of the divorce, Michal acknowledged the emotional difficulty of the moment: "With all the great joy that I'm finally going to separate from his fate, to cut it off, it also hurts, it also hurts. I feel like this is the first time I'm really dealing with the issue of divorce. The knowledge of breaking up a home is hard, it's hard for the children. I understand them, they still had this symbol that I was married to him."

Michal explained that her primary concerns are spiritual, given that their relationship once involved extensive outreach work and efforts to bring honor to G-d's name: "It's clear that a very great evil inclination dressed itself upon us. Today we can't see each other."

The couple married many years ago and appeared together in the 2004 film "Ushpizin," which achieved significant success. In recent years, their relationship deteriorated through difficult crises that became public. The couple has seven children together.