All planes are equipped with a device in the cockpit that lets the pilot know if the plane is right-side-up or upside down. While we may think such a device in unnecessary, the truth is that when flying at high altitude, one cannot rely on his own sense of direction. Many pilots have admitted that they were suddenly stricken with the sensation that they were flying upside down and they were ready to flip the plane over, if not for this device which assured them that they were indeed right-side-up. This phenomenon is not true only regarding pilots; each one of us can lose his sense of direction as we travel through this world. We cannot rely on our own senses, and that’s why it’s so important to heed the words of our sages. Our chachomim, with their wisdom, siyata dishmaya, and objectivity, are the ones who guide us in each generation and it’s our duty to follow their instruction.
The Pasuk says 17:11 “Lo sasur min hadavar”... do not deviate from the words the chachomim tell you, right or left. Says Rashi, even if the judges tell you that right is left and left is right, you still have to listen to them. Says the Ramban, even if you think in your heart that the judges are mistaken and the matter is so obvious to you, you still must act in accordance with their command. And don’t say, how can I eat this piece of outright forbidden fat, or how can I kill this innocent man? Rather you should say, “This is what Hashem commanded” and listen to the chachomim.
Says the Ramban, there are two reasons why we must blindly follow our sages. Firstly, because the Torah was given to us to be followed based on the understanding and interpretation of our chachomim, even if they err. And secondly, Torah leaders are spiritually endowed and Hashem sees it that they don’t err in their decisions.
Asks Rav Henoch Leibowitz (Chidushei Lev), if the second reason is true, why do we need the first reason? If the leaders won’t make a mistake, why does the Ramban have say to follow them even if they make a mistake? He answers that human nature is such that each man believes his reasoning is correct. Even if the high court tells him he’s wrong, he will still believe that he is right and they are wrong. And this is true even when he knows that they are gedolei Torah and he believes that Hashem sees to it that such gedolim will not stumble. However, once he knows and accepts that he must follow them even if they make a mistake, his own logic no longer plays a role. Then and only then can he accept that the gedolei Yisroel have not erred in their decision. Only after removing personal bias is one able to accept authority and act accordingly.
The sefer Derasha l’Yisroel tells a story with the Ohr Somayach. He had a shamash who was extremely loyal and always followed the directions he was given with great care. This went on for years, until one day the Ohr Somayach instructed his shamash to do something which the shamash felt was strange. The shamash believed that his rebbe had made a mistake, so he didn’t follow the instructions. The following day, the Ohr Somayach asked his shamash if he fulfilled his mission, and the shamash had no choice but to tell the truth. “It seemed to me that the rebbe erred”, said the shamash, “and so I didn’t listen this time”. The Ohr Somayach rebuked his shamash sharply, saying, “You never listen to me!” The shamash was shocked. “How can you say that”, he wanted to know, “when for years I followed your instructions meticulously. It was just this one time that I didn’t!” The Ohr Somayach responded, “All these years that you listened to me, it was only because you understood and agreed with my decisions. The fact is that when you didn’t understand my reasoning, you didn’t listen! That shows that all along you weren’t listening to me; you were listening to yourself.”
Listening to our chachomim means being mevatel your own understanding. It means following their directions blindly and accepting their instructions. It has nothing to do with whether we understand or not; it’s all about the mitzvah of “Lo sasur min hadavar” which Hashem commanded us to fulfill.
