Quick answer to 557- if i remember , the chachomim said “torah lo bashomayim hih”-mesning that r’eliezer’s views had to stand against the chachomim and- as you note- the rabbim won. My point was that infallibity is not part of the talmudic lexicon, even if the heavens support you. Same today- no chacham has infallibility-not in matters of halacha and certainly not in matters of “milei de’alma”.
to mdd- from 1933 onwards, jews in europe knew that matters were very dangerous. after 1838 and certainly after the evian conference in that year, every jew knew that matters were desperate. yet- the rabbonim in poland and hungary continued to advise jews not to leave europe- whether to the US or to israel. Please note that I am not accusing the chachmim of that dor of anything- they acted according to their beleifs- but ,clearly, it puts to rest the idea thast chachomim and gedolim are infallible.They are not.