he sages refused to admit this proof
also. "Then let the walls of the college bear witness that the law is
according to my decision;" upon which the walls began to bend, and were
about to fall, when Rabbi Joshuah interposed and rebuked them, saying,
"If the disciples of the sages wrangle with each other in the Halacha,
what is that to you? Be ye quiet!" Therefore, out of respect to Rabbi
Joshuah, they did not fall, and out of respect to Rabbi Eliezer they did
not resume their former upright position, but remained toppling, which
they continue to do to this day. Then said Rabbi Eliezer to the sages,
"Let Heaven itself testify that the Halacha is according to my
judgment." And a Bath Kol or voice from heaven was heard, saying, "What
have ye to do with Rabbi Eliezer? for the Halacha is on every point
according to his decision!" Rabbi Joshuah then stood up and proved from
Scripture that even a voice from heaven was not to be regarded, "For
Thou, O God, didst long ago write down in the law which Thou gavest on
Sinai (Exod. xxiii. 2), 'Thou shalt follow the multitude.'" (See
context.) We have it on the testimony of Elijah the prophet, given to
Rabbi Nathan, on an oath, that it was with reference to this dispute
about the oven God himself confessed and said, "My children have
vanquished me! My children have vanquished me!"

_Bava Metzia_ fol. 59, col. 1.

In the sequel to the above we are told that all the legal
documents of Rabbi Eliezer containing his decisions respecting
things "clean" were publicly burned with fire, and he himself
excommunicated. In consequence of this the whole world was
smitten with blight, a third in the olives, a third in the
barley, and a third in the wheat; and the Rabbi himself, though
excommunicated, continued to be held in the highest regard in
Israel.

The Rabbis said to Rabbi Hamnuna, "Rav Ami has written or copied four
hundred copies of the law." He replied to them, "Perhaps only (Deut.
xxxiii. 4) 'Moses commanded us a law.'" (He meant he did not imagine
that any one man could possibly write out four hundred complete copies
of the Pentateuch.)

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 14, col. 1.

Rabbi Chanena said, "If four hundred years after the destruction of the
Temple one offers thee a field worth a thousand denarii for one
denarius, don't buy it."

_Avodah Zarah_, fol. 9, col. 2.

We know by tradition that the treatise "Avodah Zarah," which our father
Abraham posses