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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) rule that when someone asks a question, the entire chain of batei din must accompany them upward if they don't know? The Bnos Tzelofchad episode in Parshas Pinchas provides the source. When a dayan doesn't know an answer, it becomes his obligation to learn it—creating responsibility that travels up the judicial hierarchy.
This shiur explores the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s ruling in Hilchos Mamrim about the judicial process when Beis Din Hagadol was in operation. When someone had a halachic question, they would ask their local Beis Din. If they didn't know, the questioner together with the Beis Din would go to the Beis Din on Har Habayis. If they still didn't know, all of them would proceed to the Beis Din at the entrance of the Azarah, and if necessary, ultimately to the Sanhedrin in Lishkas Hagazis. The Lechem Mishna raises a fundamental question: why must all the batei din accompany the questioner up the chain? This creates a situation where one person's question could result in dozens of judges traveling together. The only similar case in Gemara (גמרא) is Zaken Mamre, but there the judges are litigants themselves, which doesn't apply to a regular halachic inquiry where the court simply doesn't know the answer.
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Parshas Pinchas - Bnos Tzelofchad
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
