RABBI LABEL LAM (Torah.org)
And you shall come to the Leviim/Kohanim and to the judge who will be in those days, and you shall inquire, and they will tell you the words of judgment... you shall observe to do according to all they instruct you. According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left. (Devarim 17:9-11)
Either right or left: Even if this judge tells you that right is left, and that left is right. How much more so, if he tells you that right is right, and left is left! — Rashi
The Torah tells us explicitly that one should seek out advice and life solutions with the help of scholars who are saturated with Torah knowledge and values. We lack both the knowledge and objectivity to make the correct decision in many matters. One of my teachers told me recently that Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Greenwald zl. had said, “There is nothing more dangerous than someone who does not have a Rebbe.” If we are driving in life without a GPS then it is easy to get lost and stuck. Again, the Torah emphasizes the need to nullify one’s own way of perceiving the matter to the decision of Daas Torah, even if they tell you left is right and right is left, to do as they say. Don’t take their opinion lightly.
As the Butler told Pharaoh, “Es Chatai Ani Mazkir HaYom” – “I am mentioning my sin today.” Here I am pontificating as if from an ivory tower but I had to learn this
