Horayos 1:4-5
Horayos 1:4
If the court made a ruling and one of the members of the court knew that it was a mistake and he told them so, or if the head of the court was absent, or if one of the members of the court was a convert, a mamzer, a Gibeonite or a childless elder (none of whom may serve on the court), then they are exempt. This is because the Torah refers to them here as an eidah (a congregation or an assembly) and it refers later (in Numbers 35:24) to an eidah. Just as the eidah referred to there means one whose members are all qualified to rule, so too does the eidah referred to here. If they made the wrong ruling unknowingly and the people acted upon it unknowingly, they (i.e., the court) must offer a bull. If the court ruled intentionally and the people acted unknowingly, they (the people) must bring a sheep or a goat. If the court ruled unknowingly and the people acted intentionally, everyone is exempt from bringing an offering.
Horayos 1:5
If the court made a ruling and the entire community or a majority of it acted based on their ruling, they (the court) must bring a bull as an offering; a bull and a male goat in a case of idolatry. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says that the twelve Tribes must bring twelve bulls; twelve bulls and twelve male goats in a case of idolatry. Rabbi Shimon says 13 bulls and, in a case of idolatry, 13 bulls and 13 male goats – a bull and a goat for each Tribe plus a bull and goat for the court. If the court issued a ruling and seven Tribes or the majority of them acted based on their ruling, they must bring a bull as an offering; a bull and a male goat in a case of idolatry. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says that if seven Tribes sinned, they must offer seven bulls and the remaining Tribes who didn’t sin offer a bull for those which did – every Tribe that didn’t sin brings an offering on behalf of these who did. Rabbi Shimon said eight bulls; eight bulls and eight male goats in a case of idolatry – a bull and goat for each Tribe plus a bull and goat for the court. If the court of one of the Tribes issued a ruling and that Tribe acted based on it, that Tribe must bring an offering but the other Tribes need not do so; this is the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. The Sages say that this offering is only brought because of a ruling made by the Sanhedrin as per Leviticus 4:13, “If the whole congregation should err,” not the congregation of just one Tribe.