Derasha 6 on Shoftim 17:11

TT #74 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 11

The Complete Passuk

עַל־פִּ֨י הַתּוֹרָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יוֹר֗וּךָ וְעַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֥וּ לְךָ֖ תַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה לֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִן־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־יַגִּ֥ידֽוּ לְךָ֖ יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃

You shall act in accordance with the instructions given you and the ruling handed down to you; you must not deviate from the verdict that they announce to you either to the right or to the left.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin / Sifrei.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

לא תסור. בין לחומרא בין לקולא.

English: You shall not turn aside — whether toward stringency or toward leniency.

On the daf / in context

The obligation of obedience applies equally to rulings that are strict and rulings that are lenient.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli / Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

One may not reject a high-court ruling merely because it is lenient or merely because it is stringent.