The following narrative comes from Bava Metzia 59b in the Babylonian Talmud. As one commentator wrote concerning this text,
the halakhic framework did not
imply personal infallibility; rather, it assumed that proper legal procedure
and institutional consensus bore divine authority. . . . divine approval
attaches not to individual charisma, but to structured, communal discernment.
וְזֶה הוּא תַּנּוּר שֶׁל עַכְנַאי. מַאי
עַכְנַאי? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שֶׁהִקִּיפוּ[הוּ] דְּבָרִים
כְּעַכְנָא זוֹ, וְטִמְּאוּהוּ. תָּנָא: בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הֵשִׁיב רַבִּי
אֱלִיעֶזֶר כׇּל תְּשׁוּבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, וְלֹא קִיבְּלוּ הֵימֶנּוּ.
And this is known as the
oven of akhnai. The Gemara asks: What is the relevance of akhnai,
a snake, in this context? Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: It is
characterized in that manner due to the fact that the Rabbis surrounded
it with their statements like this snake, which often forms a
coil when at rest, and deemed it impure. The Sages taught: On that
day, when they discussed this matter, Rabbi Eliezer answered all
possible answers in the world to support his opinion, but the
Rabbis did not accept his explanations from him.
אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתִי – חָרוּב
זֶה יוֹכִיחַ. נֶעֱקַר חָרוּב מִמְּקוֹמוֹ מֵאָה אַמָּה, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: אַרְבַּע
מֵאוֹת אַמָּה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֵין מְבִיאִין רְאָיָה מִן הֶחָרוּב. חָזַר וְאָמַר
לָהֶם: אִם הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתִי – אַמַּת הַמַּיִם יוֹכִיחוּ. חָזְרוּ אַמַּת
הַמַּיִם לַאֲחוֹרֵיהֶם. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֵין מְבִיאִין רְאָיָה מֵאַמַּת הַמַּיִם.
After failing to convince the
Rabbis logically, Rabbi Eliezer said to them: If the halakha
is in accordance with my opinion, this carob tree will prove
it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits,
and some say four hundred cubits. The Rabbis said to him: One does not
cite halakhic proof from the carob tree. Rabbi Eliezer then said
to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my
opinion, the stream will prove it. The water in the stream turned
backward and began flowing in the opposite direction. They said to him:
One does not cite halakhic proof from a stream.
חָזַר וְאָמַר לָהֶם: אִם הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתִי –
כּוֹתְלֵי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ יוֹכִיחוּ. הִטּוּ כּוֹתְלֵי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ
לִיפּוֹל. גָּעַר בָּהֶם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם תַּלְמִידֵי
חֲכָמִים מְנַצְּחִים זֶה אֶת זֶה בַּהֲלָכָה, אַתֶּם מָה טִיבְכֶם? לֹא נָפְלוּ
מִפְּנֵי כְבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְלֹא זָקְפוּ מִפְּנֵי כְבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וַעֲדַיִן מַטִּין וְעוֹמְדִין.
Rabbi Eliezer then said to
them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion,
the walls of the study hall will prove it. The walls of the study
hall leaned inward and began to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua scolded the
walls and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each
other in matters of halakha, what is the nature of your
involvement in this dispute? The Gemara relates: The walls did not fall
because of the deference due Rabbi Yehoshua, but they did not
straighten because of the deference due Rabbi Eliezer, and they
still remain leaning.
חָזַר וְאָמַר לָהֶם: אִם הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתִי –
מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹכִיחוּ. יָצָאתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: מָה לָכֶם אֵצֶל רַבִּי
אֱלִיעֶזֶר, שֶׁהֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתוֹ בְּכׇל מָקוֹם.
Rabbi Eliezer then said to
them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion,
Heaven will prove it. A Divine Voice emerged from Heaven and
said: Why are you differing with Rabbi Eliezer, as the halakha
is in accordance with his opinion in every place that he
expresses an opinion?
עָמַד רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל רַגְלָיו
וְאָמַר: ״לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִיא!״ מַאי ״לֹא בַּשָּׁמַיִם הִיא״? אָמַר רַבִּי
יִרְמְיָה: שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה מֵהַר סִינַי, אֵין אָנוּ מַשְׁגִּיחִין
בְּבַת קוֹל, שֶׁכְּבָר כָּתַבְתָּ בְּהַר סִינַי בַּתּוֹרָה ״אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים
לְהַטֹּת״. אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַבִּי נָתָן לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עָבֵיד
קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קָא חָיֵיךְ וְאָמַר,
״נִצְּחוּנִי בָּנַי! נִצְּחוּנִי בָּנַי!״
Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his
feet and said: It is written: “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy
30:12). The Gemara asks: What is the relevance of the phrase “It is
not in heaven” in this context? Rabbi Yirmeya says: Since the
Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not regard a Divine Voice, as You
already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline”
(Exodus 23:2). Since the majority of Rabbis disagreed with Rabbi Eliezer’s
opinion, the halakha is not ruled in accordance with his opinion. The
Gemara relates: Years after, Rabbi Natan encountered Elijah the prophet
and said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time,
when Rabbi Yehoshua issued his declaration? Elijah said to him: The Holy
One, Blessed be He, smiled and said: My children have triumphed over Me; My
children have triumphed over Me.
