Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us a story where Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua had a dispute about when to calculate the new moon, which would affect when to celebrate Yom Kippur.  In order that no one be misled by Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabban Gamliel the Nasi, ordered that Rabbi Yehoshua travel to him on the day that would have been his Yom Kippur, with his staff and money.  The idea was to make a public repudiation of his opinion.

The idea that one rabbi must cede to the rulings of the Sanhedrin is codified in the laws of the Zaken Mamreh, the rebellious elder.  However, often these ideas are misused as a way to religiously bully people in areas that they should not be.  

It is worth noting, the sage is only considered to be a rebellious elder if he publicly promulgated his opinion as halakha, against the ruling of the Sanhedrin (See Rambam, Mamerim chapter 3).  In other words, he is still entitled to his opinion in a non-halakhic sense.  (In Mishna Eduyos, 5:6-7, there is a fascinating discussion about an epic dispute between Akavia ben Mahalalel and the sages, their efforts to force him to concede, his reactions, their reactions, and how he guided his son.)

The verse and midrash that is often used for enforcing the idea that we must accept everything the sages tell us is from Devarim (17:8-11):

כִּ֣י יִפָּלֵא֩ מִמְּךָ֨ דָבָ֜ר לַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט בֵּֽין־דָּ֨ם ׀ לְדָ֜ם בֵּֽין־דִּ֣ין לְדִ֗ין וּבֵ֥ין נֶ֙גַע֙ לָנֶ֔גַע דִּבְרֵ֥י רִיבֹ֖ת בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֣ וְעָלִ֔יתָ אֶ֨ל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בּֽוֹ׃ 

If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law, or assault—matters of dispute in your courts—you shall promptly repair to the place that the LORD your God will have chosen,

וּבָאתָ֗ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְאֶ֨ל־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֙ וְהִגִּ֣ידוּ לְךָ֔ אֵ֖ת דְּבַ֥ר הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ 

and appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case,

וְעָשִׂ֗יתָ עַל־פִּ֤י הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַגִּ֣ידֽוּ לְךָ֔ מִן־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִבְחַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֣ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹרֽוּךָ׃ 

you shall carry out the verdict that is announced to you from that place that the LORD chose, observing scrupulously all their instructions to you.

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.

On this verse, Rashi famously quotes the Sifri:

Even if he (the judge) tells you about what appears to you to be right that it is left, or about what appears to you to be left that it is right, you have to obey him; how much the more is this so if actually he tells you about what is evidently right that it is right and about what is left that it is left

This is used to intimidate people into denying their own common sense:  “You see, one must even believe that their right hand is their left, if their rabbi says so.” 

However, this is an incorrect interpretation.  This verse and derasha is referring to the Sanhedrin, not your local orthodox Rav or possibly not even your local Rosh Yeshiva. Now, there is an argument that it may be referring also to the Godol Hador, because he is in place of the Sanhedrin.  But, even if this is so, even the Sanhedrin was limited to compelling the rebellious elder to abstain from PUBLICALLY preaching his HALAKHIC opinion, not his peshatim or ideas. In other words, the idea of following the rulings of the Sanhedrin were legal ideas, in order to avoid anarchy.  This is clearly stated by Gemara Sanhedrin (88b), שלא ירבו מחלוקת בישראל “so that discord would not proliferate in Israel.”

There is an even more fascinating idea put forth by Chovos Halevavos. In his introduction he notes that curiously, the verses we quoted above about having questions that need to be brought to the Sanhedrin all refer to monetary, halakhic and legal issues.  It does NOT say, “If you have questions of faith, or you wonder what is the best way to pray, or how to erase jealousy or anger from your heart.”  Why?  Shouldn’t those matters be of utmost importance to clarify before the highest authority?  Chovos Halevavos answers the reason that it  is not brought up is because when it comes to matters of the heart, you are responsible to delve inward and find the answers.  Of course, he is not saying “Don’t ask your rebbeim for guidance.”  We all must be humble and learn Torah and hashkafa from great people and Talmidei Chachamim.  In the quote below, he says “you should reflect on them to your heart and to apply your intellect on them after having FIRST accepted them from the Tradition.” However, Chovos Halevavos is saying that you have a common sense intellectual responsibility, burden and right to determine inner truths. Here is his golden language, so you do not have to merely take my word for it:

"If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, between affliction and affliction...and you shall do according to the sentence which they declare to you" (Deut. 17:8-10). If you examine what subjects are included in the first verse, you will find they are things which need to be detailed, distinguished, and discussed by the method of Tradition, and not by that of logical demonstration from Reason alone. You can see, the verse does not include matters which can be attained through Reason. For he did not say, for example, "when you have a question on the Unity of G-d"; or regarding the Names and attributes of the Creator, or as to any of the roots of the religion, such as the service of G-d, trusting in Him, submission before Him, devoting activities to Him, purifying conduct from the damage of detrimental things, repentance from sins, fear and love of Him, being abashed before Him, making a spiritual accounting, and similar duties which can be fulfilled through reason and recognition. He did not say to accept them on the authority of the Torah Sages and to rely only on the Tradition. On the contrary, Scripture says in regard to these to reflect on them to your heart and to apply your intellect on them after having first accepted them from the Tradition, which covers all the commandments of the Torah, their roots and branches. You should investigate them with your intellect, understanding, and judgment, until you will sift the truth of it from the false [notions], as written "therefore, know this day and consider it within your heart, that the L-ord, He is G-d" (Deut. 4:39).

It says, you will “know”, not just believe.