- The זקן ממרא and his disputants “go up” to the Beis Hamikdash, higher than all of Eretz Yisroel
A Baraisa darshens: "כי יפלא ממך דבר" – if a matter is hidden from you, teaching that the passuk is discussing מופלא שבבית דין – a distinguished member of Beis Din, referring to an ordained judge. The Baraisa darshens numerous phrases in the passuk to hint to various possible topics of dispute. The passuk continues: "וקמת" – and you shall rise up, meaning מבית דין – from the court of your city, instructing the local Beis Din to ascend with the זקן ממרא to ask the בתי דין in Yerushalayim. "ועלית" – And you shall ascend, מלמד שבית המקדש גבוה מארץ ישראל – this teaches that the Beis Hamikdash is higher than anywhere in Eretz Yisroel, וארץ ישראל גבוה מכל הארצות – and Eretz Yisroel is higher than all other lands (this second statement is derived from a different passuk). The Baraisa concludes: "אל המקום" – to the place, מלמד שהמקום גורם – this teaches that the place of Sanhedrin causes the law of זקן ממרא to apply (i.e., only if their ruling was issued in the לשכת הגזית).
- What kind of halachic disagreement qualifies for זקן ממרא: three opinions
In a Baraisa, Rebbe Meir says: זקן ממרא אינו חייב אלא על דבר שזדונו כרת ושגגתו חטאת – a זקן ממרא is only liable for ignoring Sanhedrin’s ruling in a matter whose intentional transgression incurs kares, and whose unintentional transgression obligates a korban chatas. Rebbe Yehudah says the dispute must be על דבר שעיקרו מדברי תורה ופירושו מדברי סופרים – about a matter whose fundamental element is written in the Torah, and its interpretation is taught by the סופרים (i.e., the early Sages). Rebbe Shimon goes further, and says אפילו דקדוק אחד מדקדוקי סופרים – even if the dispute is about one detail inferred by the סופרים.
Rebbe Meir derives his opinion from a gezeirah shavah ("דבר דבר") from פר העלם דבר של צבור, which is only brought for an aveirah which is liable to כרת for מזיד, and a chatas for שוגג. Rebbe Yehudah darshens "על פי התורה אשר יורוך" – according to the law that they will teach you, to teach he is not liable עד דאיכא תורה ויורוך – until there is a dispute about [written Torah] law and “they will teach you” (i.e., the Sages’ interpretation). Rebbe Shimon darshens "אשר יגידו לך מן המקום ההוא" – [whatever] they tell you, from that place, that אפילו כל דהו – even a “minimal” point.
- "בין דין לדין" – kares violations resulting from a dispute about דיני ממונות
The above Baraisa darshened phrases in the passuk to hint to many different possible topics of dispute (twenty-one in all). Rav Pappa interprets this entire list according to Rebbe Meir’s opinion, that a זקן ממרא is only liable for a dispute involving possible כרת. The Baraisa darshens "בין דין לדין" – between verdict and verdict to hint to disputes בין דיני ממונות דיני נפשות דיני מכות – whether about monetary cases, capital cases, or cases about malkus. “דיני ממונות” refers to the machlokes about a monetary ruling issued by two judges, which Shmuel said is valid, and Rebbe Abahu said is not valid. Thus, if someone is awarded money by a two-person court, and Sanhedrin ruled like Shmuel and the זקן ממרא ruled like Rebbe Abahu, he would consider the awarded money stolen by the victorious party. If he marries a woman with that money, the זקן ממרא would consider the kiddushin invalid and permit her to marry others, resulting in a כרת violation.
"דיני נפשות" refers to a machlokes about paying compensation for an inadvertent murder, and "דיני מכות" refers to a machlokes about the number of judges required to give someone malkus (and if the court is not authorized, they must pay damages). These monetary disputes result in possible כרת, as above.