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Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 154

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(דברים יז י) וְעָשִׂיתָ עַל פִּי הַדָּבָר, עַל הוֹרָיַת בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלִַם חַיָּבִים מִיתָה, וְאֵין חַיָּבִים מִיתָה עַל הוֹרָיַת בֵּית דִּין שֶׁבְּיַבְנֶה.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim 17:11) "And you shall do according to the thing that they tell you from that place which the L-rd chooses": By the ruling of the great beth-din in Jerusalem (i.e., the Sanhedrin) the death penalty obtains, and not by the ruling of the beth-din in Yavneh.

(דברים יז יא) ״עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ״, עַל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חַיָּבִים מִיתָה וְאֵין חַיָּבִים מִיתָה עַל דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Ibid. 12) "According to the Torah that they teach you": This teaches us that (a rebellious elder) incurs the death penalty only for (controverting) words of Torah (i.e., the Written Law), but not for (controverting) the words of the scribes (i.e., the Oral Law).

וְעַל הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ לְךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"and the judgment that they tell you to do": This is a positive commandment (i.e., the rebellious elder transgresses a positive commandment).

לֹא תָסוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר יַגִּידוּ לְךָ – מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"You shall not turn aside from the thing that they tell you": This is a negative commandment.

יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל – אֲפִילּוּ מַרְאִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ עַל יָמִין שֶׁהוּא שְׂמֹאל וְעַל שְׂמֹאל שֶׁהוּא יָמִין – שְׁמַע לָהֶם!

Sefaria Community Translation

"right or left": Even if it seems in your eyes (that they are telling you) left is right and right is left, listen to them.

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