משנה: זָקֵן מַמְרֵא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁנֶאֱמַר כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט בֵּין דָּם לְדָם בֵּין דִּין לְדִין. שְׁלשָׁה בָתֵּי דִינִין הָיוּ שָׁם. אֶחָד עַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת. וְאֶחָד עַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה. וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית. בָּאִין לָזֶה שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת וְאוֹמֵר כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרַי כָּךְ לִמַּדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְּדוּ חֲבֵרָי. אִם שָׁמְעוּ אָמְרוּ לָהֶם. וְאִם לָאו בָּאִין לָזֶה שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה וְאוֹמֵר כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרַי כָּךְ לִמַדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְדוּ חֲבֵרָי. אִם שָׁמְעוּ אָמְרוּ לָהֶם. וְאִם לָאו אֵילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ בָּאִין לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית שֶׁמִּשָּׁם תּוֹרָה יוֹצְאָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳. חָזַר לְעִירוֹ וְשָׁנָה וְלִימֵּד כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לָמוּד פָּטוּר. הוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת חַיָיב שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן וגו׳. אֵינוֹ חַיָיב עַד שֶׁיּוֹרֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת. תַּלְמִיד שֶׁהוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת פָּטוּר נִמְצָא חוּמְרוֹ קוּלּוֹ:
MISHNAH: The Elder who rebels against the Court, as it is said: If a law case is too difficult for you, whether blood and blood, or case and case, etc. Three courts were there, one at the entrance of the Temple Mount, one at the entrance of the Temple courtyard, and one in the ashlar hall. They come to the one at the entrance to the Temple Mount and he says, so I argued and so my colleagues argued, so I taught and so my colleague taught. If they had heard it, they tell them; otherwise they come to the one at the entrance of the Temple courtyard and he says, so I argued and so my colleagues argued, so I taught and so my colleagues taught. If they had heard it, they tell them; otherwise these and those come to the Supreme Court in the ashlar hall, for from there instruction goes out to all of Israel as it is said, from that place which the Eternal will choose. If he returned to his town, repeated and taught as was his custom, he cannot be prosecuted. If he instructed to act, he is punishable, as it is said, but the man who would act criminally etc. He is not punishable unless he instruct to act. A student who instructed to act cannot be prosecuted; it turns out that his severity is his leniency.