<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; "><center><table align="center" bgcolor="white" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="2" width="400"><tbody><tr><td><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="3"><b><i>Mishpatim</i>: Following the Majority Opinion</b></font></td></tr></tbody></table></center><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">A story about Rabbi Akiva, when the famed second century Talmudic sage was a young scholar...</span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS"></font></span></font></div><font color="black" face="Trebuchet MS" size="2"><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Rabban Gamliel, the head of </span></font><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Sanhedrin</span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">, hosted a gathering of scholars in the town of Jericho. The guests were served dates, and Rabban Gamliel honored Rabbi Akiva with reciting the</span></font><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">brachah achronah</span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"> (final blessing). However, Rabban Gamliel and the other sages disagreed about which blessing should be said after eating dates. The young scholar quickly made the blessing - in accordance with the opinion of the other rabbis.</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">"Akiva!" exclaimed Rabban Gamliel. "When will you stop butting your head into Halachic disagreements?"</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">"Our master," Rabbi Akiva replied calmly, "it is true that you and your colleagues disagree in this matter. But did you not teach us that the Law is decided according to the majority opinion?" </span></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">[Brachot 37a]</span></font></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">In truth, it is hard to understand Rabban Gamliel's criticism. What did he expect Rabbi Akiva to do? Why was he upset?</span></font></p><p><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Two Methods to Resolve Disputes</span></font></b></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">In order to resolve legal disputes, there are two methods a scholar may use to decide which opinion should be accepted as law.</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">The first way is to conduct an extensive analysis of the subject to find out the truth. We examine the issue at hand, weighing the reasoning and supporting proofs for each view, until we can determine which opinion is the most logical.</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">However, if we are unable to objectively decide which opinion is more substantiated, we fall back on the second method. Instead of the truth, we look for consensus. We follow the majority opinion - not because it is more logical or well-reasoned - but out of the simple need to establish a normative position and avoid disagreement and conflict. If we are seeking consensus and peace, then the most widely held opinion is the preferred one.</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Rabban Gamliel was critical of Rabbi Akiva because he thought the young scholar had the audacity to decide which opinion was the correct one. Therefore he castigated him, "</span></font><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">When will you stop butting your head into these legal disagreements?</span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">" In other words, where did you get the idea that you could use your </span></font><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">head</span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"> - your own powers of logic and reasoning - to decide issues that are beyond your expertise and knowledge?</span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;">Rabbi Akiva responded that he hadn't presumptuously tried to decide which opinion is correct. Rather, he had simply applied the second method of resolving a legal dispute: deciding the issue by consensus, according to the majority opinion.</span></font></p><p><font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II, p. 176]</span></font></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">There are two issues which are troublesome. Number one: If Rabban Gamliel honored Rabbi Akiva, even if Rabbi Akiva did the incorrect thing, Rabban Gamliel's public reprimand was humiliating and certainly bordered on his being <font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">malbin pnei chaveiro berabim (Bava Metzia 59a; Sotah 10b). Secondly: Rabbi Akiva did exactly how Rabban Gamliel taught him. So it seems as if Rabban Gamliel turned on his own teaching, as well as on his brilliant pupil. Also, Rabbi Akiva showed himself to be much greater than his teacher in his humble response. </font></span></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">ri</span></font></p><p><br></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">ri</span></font></p></font></span></body></html>