Horayot 3 – Only Jews in Israel Count for Majority

The previous rule that one is not liable if he followed the erroneous decision of the court is the minority opinion; the prevailing opinion is that one IS liable in such case. However, if the majority of Jews acted on a court's error – who ruled, for example, that a certain action is not idol worship when in reality it is – then each individual is not liable, and instead the court brings the sacrifice for the mistake they had made. The majority in this case is determined only among the Jews living in Israel.

What if the court mistakenly ruled that a certain prohibited fat (destined for the Altar) is permitted, and then a minority of Israel acted upon that, then the court retracted their mistake, and afterwards again mistakenly ruled that this fat was allowed, and now a different minority acted upon it – do they combine into a majority? This and other similar inquiries remain unresolved.

Ignacy Aleksander Gierymski - Feast of Trumpets (Slichot)