And this is the oven of akhnai. What akhnai (a snake). Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: the Rabbis surrounded it with their statements like this snake, and deemed it impure. The Sages taught: On that day, Rabbi Eliezer answered all possible answers in the world to support his opinion, but the Rabbis did not accept his explanations from him...

Rabbi Eliezer said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, this carob tree will prove it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits, and some say four hundred cubits. The Rabbis said to him: One does not cite proof from the carob tree. Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the stream will prove it. The stream began flowing in the opposite direction. They said to him: One does not cite halakhic proof from a stream.

Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the walls of the study hall will prove it. The walls of the study hall leaned and began to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua scolded the walls and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each other in matters of halakha, is that any of your buisness? The walls did not fall because of the deference due Rabbi Yehoshua, but they did not straighten because of the deference due Rabbi Eliezer, and they still remain leaning.

Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, Heaven will prove it. A Divine Voice emerged and said: Why are you differing with Rabbi Eliezer, as the halakha is in accordance with him in every place.

Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12). What does “It is not in heaven” mean, in this context? Rabbi Yirmeya says: Since the Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not regard a Divine Voice, as You already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline” (Exodus 23:2). Since the majority of Rabbis disagreed with Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion, the halakha is not ruled in accordance with his opinion. Years after, Rabbi Natan encountered Elijah the prophet and said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time, Elijah said to him: The Holy One, Blessed be He, smiled and said: My children have triumphed over Me; My children have triumphed over Me.

(4) In like manner, if he abolish aught of the things which we did learn by tradition, or if he say concerning a given law of the laws of the Torah that God charged him to interpret the law thus, and that the law should be decided in favor of that man, behold, he is a false prophet, and shall be strangled, even though he delivered a token; for, lo, he came to refute the Torah wherein it is said: "It is not in heaven" (Ibid. 30.12). Nevertheless, if his charge be of a temporary nature, we must hearken unto him in everything.