ראוי להוראה וכו’: כגון מאן אמר רבא כגון שמעון בן עזאי ושמעון בן זומא א”ל אביי כי האי גוונא מזיד הוא ולטעמיך הא דתניא בעשותה אחת יחיד העושה מפי עצמו חייב בהוראת ב”ד פטור כיצד הורו ב”ד שחלב מותר ונודע לאחד מהן שטעו או תלמיד יושב לפניהן וראוי להוראה כגון שמעון בן עזאי יכול יהא פטור ת”ל בעשותה אחת יחיד העושה על פי עצמו חייב בהוראת ב”ד פטור אלא היכי משכחת לה כגון דידע דאסור וקא טעי במצוה לשמוע דברי חכמים לדידי נמי דטעו במצוה לשמוע דברי חכמים.
CAPABLE OF DECIDING MATTERS OF LAW etc. Like whom, for instance? — Raba replied: For instance, like Simeon b. Azzai and Simeon b. Zoma. Said Abaye to him: In the case of such [scholars] it would be a willful transgression! And according to your argument, [the other replied, how will you explain] the following wherein it was taught: ‘In doing one, [implies that if] an individual acts on his own authority he is liable; if under the authority of the ruling of the court, he is exonerated. How is this so? [In the case where] the court ruled that suet was permitted and it was known to one of then, or to a disciple sitting before them and capable of deciding matters of law, such for instance as Simeon b. ‘Azzai, that they erred, it might have been assumed that he is exonerated, hence it was expressly taught, in doing one, [implying that if] an individual acts on his own authority he is liable: if under the authority of the ruling of the court he is exonerated’? How then could this be possible? [Obviously] in such a case as where [the scholar] knew that it was prohibited, but erred in the [interpretation of the] precept of obeying the words of the Sages; according to my view also it is a case where they erred in the [interpretation of the] precept of obeying the words of the Sages.
Translation from Soncino, here.
- Horiyos 2b
(Jewish clericalism is one of our major concerns all over this site.)