Q&A: Is It an Ontic Doubt
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Is It an Ontic Doubt
Question
Good evening, Rabbi. As I understand it, according to Rabbi Shimon Shkop’s approach, in the topic of "conditions" (where a man says to a woman, "Behold, you are betrothed to me from now, on condition that you give me fifty zuz"), before the condition has been fulfilled, apparently no full legal acquisition has taken place here. Therefore this is a case of an "ontic doubt." Exactly like in the topics of retroactive clarification and "one who betroths one out of five women." It seems to me that this is the same mechanism. What does the Rabbi say?
Answer
Indeed, correct. A special kind of ontic doubt. See my article, "What Is a Legal Effect?"