Yevamot 16A

בני צרות אני מעיד לכם.

whereas with regard to the children of rival wives, I testify to you that they are not disqualified, since, as stated, their descendants served as High Priests.

תא שמע: בימי רבי דוסא בן הרכינס הותרה צרת הבת לאחין. שמע מינה עשו: שמע מינה.

§ The Talmud states: Come and hear another source that indicates Beit Shammai did act upon their opinions: In the time of R' Dosa ben Harkinas, the rival wife of a daughter was permitted to the brothers. Conclude from this that Beit Shammai did act in accordance with their opinions. The Talmud summarizes these proofs: Indeed, conclude from these sources that Beit Shammai did put their rulings into practice.

גופא. בימי רבי דוסא בן הרכינס התירו צרת הבת לאחין, והיה הדבר קשה לחכמים, מפני שחכם גדול היה, ועיניו קמו מלבא לבית המדרש.

§ Since the last source is only part of a larger incident, the Talmud cites the matter itself. In the time of R' Dosa ben Harkinas the rabbis permitted the rival wife of a daughter to the brothers. In other words, it became known that R' Dosa ben Harkinas deemed permitted a daughter’s rival wife. And this matter was difficult in the eyes of the Rabbis because he was a great Sage and his decision in favor of Beit Shammai carried great weight. They could not approach him immediately, as he was very old and his eyes had dimmed so much that he was incapable of coming to the study hall.

אמרו: ומי ילך ויודיעו? אמר להן רבי יהושע: אני אלך. ואחריו מי ⁠— רבי אלעזר בן עזריה. ואחריו מי ⁠— רבי עקיבא. הלכו ועמדו על פתח ביתו. נכנסה שפחתו, אמרה לו: רבי, חכמי ישראל באין אצלך, אמר לה: יכנסו, ונכנסו.

They said: And who will go and notify him that this matter requires clarification? R' Yehoshua said to them: I will go. They asked: And who should go after him? They selected R' Elazar ben Azarya, who was one of the great rabbis of the generation, notwithstanding his youth. They further inquired: And who after him? R' Akiva. They went and stood at the entrance of R' Dosa ben Harkinas’s house. His female slave entered and said to him: Rabbi! the rabbis of Israel have come to you. He said to her: Let them enter, and they entered.