Individual and the many: the law follows the many/ where one opinion is opposed to the majority, the law follows the majority

A rule in legal decision-making according to which, when there is a dispute between an individual and the many, the law is determined according to the view of the many (its source is the verse in Exodus 23:2: "Do not follow the many to do evil; and do not answer in a dispute so as to go astray after the many to pervert justice").

("And there was an incident involving Rabban Gamliel and the Elders who were reclining in the upper story in Jericho, and they brought before them dates, and they ate them. Rabban Gamliel gave Rabbi Akiva permission to recite the blessing. Rabbi Akiva promptly recited one blessing מעין שלש. Rabban Gamliel said to him: Akiva, how long will you keep sticking your head into the dispute! He said to him: Our teacher, even though you say so and your colleagues say so, our teacher taught us: when an individual and the many disagree, the law follows the many" - Berakhot 37a)

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