Alexis de Tocqueville
"Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."
Tanach, the Talmud and commentaries are replete with stories involving Emperors, Caesars with rabbis serving as interlocutors between the Jewish community and the sovereign. The closest political work I can think of that matches up with the Talmud is not Hammurabi's Code but Plato's Republic. Despite a Talmudic diktat against studying Greek works, Rambam quotes Aristotle verbatim throughout his Guide to the Perplexed.
(ד) כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר ה' צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹקֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְכָל־הַ֨גּוֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִגְלֵ֥יתִי מִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בָּבֶֽלָה׃ (ה) בְּנ֥וּ בָתִּ֖ים וְשֵׁ֑בוּ וְנִטְע֣וּ גַנּ֔וֹת וְאִכְל֖וּ אֶת־פִּרְיָֽן׃ (ו) קְח֣וּ נָשִׁ֗ים וְהוֹלִידוּ֮ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנוֹת֒ וּקְח֨וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֜ם נָשִׁ֗ים וְאֶת־בְּנֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ תְּנ֣וּ לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְתֵלַ֖דְנָה בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנ֑וֹת וּרְבוּ־שָׁ֖ם וְאַל־תִּמְעָֽטוּ׃ (ז) וְדִרְשׁ֞וּ אֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הָעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִגְלֵ֤יתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ שָׁ֔מָּה וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֥וּ בַעֲדָ֖הּ אֶל־ה' כִּ֣י בִשְׁלוֹמָ֔הּ יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (פ)
(4) Thus said God of Hosts, the God of Israel, to the whole community which I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: (5) Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit. (6) Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, do not decrease. (7) And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to God in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.
(ב) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ.
(2) Rabbi Chanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every person would swallow their neighbour alive.
(ב) בשלומה של מלכות ואפילו של אומות העולם:
(2) "For the welfare of the government:" and even [when it is a government ] of the nations of the world. (i.e. non Jewish government)
גמ׳ והאמר שמואל דינא דמלכותא דינא אמר רב חיננא אמר רב כהנא אמר שמואל במוכס שאין לו קצבה דבי ר' ינאי אמר במוכס העומד מאליו:
GEMARA: The Gemara asks, concerning the mishna’s statement that one may take a vow to tax collectors: But didn’t Shmuel say: The law of the kingdom is the law, i.e., there is a halakhic principle that Jews must obey the laws of the state in which they live? Since one must pay the tax determined by the kingdom, how did the Sages permit one to lie in order to avoid paying? Rav Ḥinnana said that Rav Kahana said that Shmuel said: The mishna is referring to a tax collector who has no fixed amount for collection established by the kingdom, but rather collects the tax arbitrarily. Therefore, this case is not included in the law of the kingdom. A Sage of the school of Rabbi Yannai said: The mishna is referring to a tax collector who establishes himself as such independently and was not appointed by the kingdom.
במוכס העומד מאליו - שלא במצות המלך וכתבו - בתוספות דדוקא במלכי עובדי כוכבים אמר דדינא דמלכותא דינא מפני שהארץ שלו ויכול לומר להם אם לא תעשו מצותי אגרש אתכם מן הארץ אבל במלכי ישראל לא לפי שא''י כל ישראל שותפין...
2. The tax collector standing over him. ...In the Tosafot it says that that this concept is specifically in a case of non-Jewish Kings; since the land is his, and he can say to them "if you don't obey my commands, I will expel you from the land"; however, Jewish kings may not because all Jews are partners in the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Shlomo ibn Aderet
1235-1310; Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
אם השלטון הזה יש בו כח לעשות חקים בעירו דינו דין דקיימא לן דינא דמלוכתא דינא. ומי שמענשין המקלקלים כגון הגזלנים והגנבים והרצחנים וכיוצא בזה ממשפטי המלוכה והאדנות הוא זה ודינן בכל אלו וכיוצא באלו דין.
If the government has the power to enforce laws in its locale, then its laws are law, for the principle is that the law of the land is law. Thus, it is the role of sovereign government to punish criminals like robbers, thieves and murderers, and its laws in such matters are law.
Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum, Altona, Germany 1836
Nineteen Letters from the North
(ד) הרדיפה וההגבלה בדרך החיים אינן בעצם תנאי הגלות, ונהפוך הוא, חוב מוטל עלינו לפי היכולת, להאחז במדינה אשר תקבל אותנו לגור בה; להשתדל להוציא לפועל את מטרת המדינה ותועלתה, ובדרשנו את טובת עצמנו, עלינו לדרוש גם את שלומה וטובתה.
(4) To be pushed back and limited upon the path of life is, therefore, not an essential condition of the Galuth, Israel's exile state among the nations, but, on the contrary, it is our duty to join ourselves as closely as possible to the state which receives us into its midst, to promote its welfare and not to consider our well-being as in any way separate from that of the state to which we belong.
The state has no intrinsic value; only an instrumental value. This principle is common to both the religious (theocentric) approach and the humanist (anthropocentric) approach. Attributing to the state an intrinsic value is the essence of the fascist approach.
The state itself is the enemy of the individual, since it is—by its very nature—an apparatus of power and coercion. Being an apparatus of this kind, it can neither realize nor embody "values" (in every sense of the term "value"): things of value are only achieved by men and not by the "state" (i.e. the governmental apparatus), and to achieve them men struggle among themselves within the framework of the state. There is not—nor can there be—unanimity among men concerning "values": thus the state serves as an arena for internal struggles.
תפילה לשלום המלכות
הנותן תשועה למלכים וממשלה לנסיכים. מלכותו מלכות כל עולמים, הפוצה את דוד עבדו מחרב רעה, הנותן בים דרך ובמים עזים נתיבה, הוא יברך וישמור וינצור ויעזור וירומם ויגדל וינשא למעלה את הנשיא ואת משניהו ואת כל שרי הארץ הזאת.
[מלך מלכי המלכים ברחמיו יחיים וישמרם ומכל צרה ויגון ונזק יצילם. וידבר עמים תחת רגליהם. ויפיל שונאיהם לפניהם. ובכל אשר יפנו יצליחו:] מלך מלכי המלכים ברחמיו יתן בלבם ובלב כל יועציהם ושריהם לעשות טובה עמנו ועם כל ישראל. בימיהם ובימינו תושע יהודה וישראל ישכון לבטח, ובא לציון גואל. וכן יהי רצון, ונאמר אמן:
Prayer for the Welfare of the Government, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks translation
May He who gives salvation to kings and dominion to princes, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, who delivers His servant David from the evil sword, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, bless and protect, guard and help, exalt, magnify and uplift the President, Vice President and all officials of this land. May the supreme King of kinds in His mercy put into their hearts and the hearts of all their counselors and officials, to deal kindly with us and all of Israel. In their days and in ours, may Judah be saved and Israel dwell in safety, and may the Redeemer come to Zion. May this be His will, and let us say: Amen.
Discussion: What is the Jewish responsibility as a citizen of a secular country?
(14) If, after you have entered the land that the LORD your God has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, “I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,” (15) you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by the LORD your God. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kinsman. (16) Moreover, he shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to his horses, since the LORD has warned you, “You must not go back that way again.” (17) And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. (18) When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching written for him on a scroll by the levitical priests. (19) Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God, to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching as well as these laws. (20) Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.
(4) All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah, (5) and they said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.” (6) Samuel was displeased that they said “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD, (7) and the LORD replied to Samuel, "Heed the demand of the people in everything they say to you. For it is not you that they have rejected; it is Me they have rejected as their king."
Discussion: How do we explain the inconsistency between the Torah's explicit permission to establish a king? The Or HaChaim, an 18th Century Moroccan Rabbi, writes that it was their addition of "like all other nations". They did not want the king to bring them closer to G-d, but rather to increase their military might and standing in the world.
Ironically, the Talmud bases a large part on the roles and responsibilities of a King via the prophet Samuel's admonition.
(יא) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְלָשׂ֣וּם ל֔וֹ שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִיר֔וֹ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבּֽוֹ׃ (יג) וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃ (יד) וְאֶת־שְׂ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטּוֹבִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ (טו) וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ (טז) וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטּוֹבִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ (יז) צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־ל֥וֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃ (יח) וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה ה' אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃ (יט) וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ׃ וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ
(11) He said, “This will be the practice of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will serve as outrunners for his chariots. (12) He will appoint them as his chiefs of thousands and of fifties; or they will have to plow his fields, reap his harvest, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. (13) He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. (14) He will seize your choice fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his courtiers. (15) He will take a tenth part of your grain and vintage and give it to his eunuchs and courtiers. (16) He will take your male and female slaves, your choice young men, and your asses, and put them to work for him. (17) He will take a tenth part of your flocks, and you shall become his slaves. (18) The day will come when you cry out because of the king whom you yourselves have chosen; and the LORD will not answer you on that day.” (19) But the people would not listen to Samuel’s warning. “No,” they said. “We must have a king over us. that we may be like all the other nations: Let our king rule over us and go out at our head and fight our battles.”
1255-1340; Zaragoza, Spain
שום תשים עליך מלך, “You shall surely appoint a king over yourself.”
This commandment is an example of G-d accommodating Himself to the wishes of the Jewish people. G-d knew that in the foreseeable future the people would demand to be ruled by a king of flesh and blood; although, basically, G-d prefers to be the direct king of the people of Israel. Seeing that only He can traverse all their camps and benevolently supervise the fate of every individual, there certainly is no objective need for a king of flesh and blood whose reign, however well intentioned, cannot match that of G-d Himself.
It would do well for us to study our history and to learn what happened to the Jewish people during the centuries when their political system was headed by a king of flesh and blood. Devarim Rabbah 5,11 sums it up in these words: the Jewish kings caused many of their people to fall in battle because of their faulty policies. Shaul caused many casualties at Gilboah (Samuel I 31,1) David caused a plague (Samuel II 24,15). Achav, King of Israel, became the cause of the three year famine (Kings I 17,1). Tzidkiyah’s policies became the immediate cause for the destruction of the Temple.
James Madison
The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.
December 13, 1999 by David Remnick
The next American President is likely to be doing business with a new Russian counterpart who, by all appearances, is professionally tough, rhetorically profane, fed up with Western influence, and (how to put this nicely?) a product of the K.G.B... Vladimir Putin is the favorite to win the post...The American candidates can expect an era of statist revival in Russia.
Discussion: Until today, there are many societies which gravitate towards strongmen leaders. What seems so attractive about having a king?
מתני׳ לא ירבה לו סוסים אלא כדי מרכבתו וכסף וזהב לא ירבה לו מאד אלא כדי ליתן אספניא וכותב לו ס"ת לשמו יוצא למלחמה מוציאה עמה נכנס הוא מכניסה עמו יושב בדין היא עמו מיסב היא כנגדו שנאמר (דברים יז, יט) והיתה עמו וקרא בו כל ימי חייו:
MISHNA: The king “shall not accumulate many horses for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:16), but only enough for his chariot in war and in peace. “Neither shall he greatly accumulate silver and gold for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but only enough to provide his soldiers’ sustenance [aspanya]. And the king writes himself a Torah scroll for his sake, as stipulated in Deuteronomy 17:18. When he goes out to war, he brings it out with him. When he comes in from war, he brings it in with him. When he sits in judgment, it is with him. When he reclines to eat, it is opposite him, as it is stated: “And it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life” (Deuteronomy 17:19).
אמר להם כמדומין אתם ששררה אני נותן לכם עבדות אני נותן לכם שנאמר (מלכים א יב, ז) וידברו אליו לאמר אם היום תהיה עבד לעם הזה:
Rabban Gamliel said to them: Do you imagine that I am granting you authority, and since you did not want to accept the honor you did not come when I sent for you? I am granting you servitude, as it is stated: “And they spoke to him saying: If you will be a servant to this people today” (I Kings 12:7).
וישב בבית החפשית. אמרו רז"ל כי המלכות היא עבודה שהרי צריך לשאת כל משא העם עליו ולשמוע אליהם ולשפוט משפטיהם בין ברצונו בין שלא ברצונו:
Rabbi David Kimhi
1160-1235; Narbonne, Provence, France
And he sat in the House of Freedom: Our sages of blessed memory said in Horayot 10a, that being a King is work; You need to carry the burdens of the nation, listen to them, and judge their cases in court whether you want to or not.
Discussion: In what ways does the workload increase/decrease the higher up you get in the organizational chart? Describe the feeling of being responsible for the livelihoods of other people.
אשר לא יקים את דברי התורה הזאת: על הדבר הזה קרע יאשיהו ואמר עלי להקים...הרי זה בכלל ארור ידרשו בהקמה הזאת בית המלך והנשיאות שבידם להקים את התורה ביד המבטלים אותה :
"... For this reason King Josiah rent his garments (as a sign of mourning) and said: 'I must uphold it' ... and by upholding he meant that the monarchy or the presidency (nesiut) have it in their power to uphold the laws of the Torah against those who ignore them".
(1) The king has the right to levy a tax for his own needs or for wars, and to set rates for the tax. It is forbidden to avoid paying his tax. For the king is entitled to everything about which is written in the Chapter Regarding Kings25I Samuel 8..
(2) He can recruit and conscript, from anywhere in Israel, courageous and strong men and make them soldiers for his chariots, horsemen, and members of his guard.
(3) He can enlist artisans26Or, craftsmen., any he so needs, to do his work. But, he must pay them their wages.
(5) He can compel those who are qualified to be his ministers, and may appoint them to be the officers in charge of the thousands and the fifties.
(10) All lands which he conquers are his. He can give them to his servants or his soldiers, however he so wishes. He retains for himself whatever he wants. However he so decides is the law. This is as long as all his doings are done for the Sake of Heaven, and his orientation and thoughts are to promote the True Religion, fill the world with righteousness, break the arm of the wicked, and fight G-d’s war. For we do not, a priori, appoint a king except to execute justice and fight wars, as it says, “and that our king will judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (I Samuel 8:20).
Nissim of Gerona
1320-1376; Catalonia, Spain
(3) I understand the plain meaning of the verse as follows: It is accepted that men need judges to judge between them, for in their absence (Avoth 3:2) "One man would swallow the other alive" and the world would become corrupt. And every people requires some form of government, the sage going so far as to say: "Even thieves recognize the necessity of justice within their society." And Israel needs this just as the other nations do...And because the needs of society are not completely served with this alone, G-d provides for the appointment of a king.
Drafting assisted by legal advisor Isaac Albert Mosse, a German Jew.
Article 1. The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.
Article 2. The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by Imperial male descendants, according to the provisions of the Imperial House Law.
Article 3. The Emperor is sacred and inviolable.
Article 4. The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty, and exercises them, according to the provisions of the present Constitution.
Article 2, Section 2:
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Section 3.
He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
Discussion: How do the duties of a King of Israel differ from the Emperor and the President? Which seems the most just?
אמר רבי יצחק אין מעמידין פרנס על הצבור אלא אם כן נמלכים בצבור
R. Isaac said : "We must not appoint a leader over the community without first consulting them"
רבי יהודה נשיאה ורבנן חד אמר דור לפי פרנס וחד אמר פרנס לפי דורו
R. Yehudah HaNasi and the Rabbis disagreed on how to interpret this verse. One says: 'A generation parallels that of its leader.' And one says: 'A leader parallels that of his generation'
THERE ARE TWO FORMS or dimensions of leadership. One is power, the other, influence. Often we confuse the two. After all, those who have power often have influence, and those who have influence have a certain kind of power. In fact, however, the two are quite different, even opposites.
We can see this by a simple thought-experiment. Imagine you have total power, and then you decide to share it with nine others. You now have one-tenth of the power with which you began. Imagine, by contrast, that you have a certain measure of influence, and now you share it with nine others. How much do you have left? Not less. In fact, more. Initially there was only one of you; now there are ten. Your influence has spread. Power operates by division, influence by multiplication. With power, the more we share, the less we have. With influence, the more we share, the more we have.
So deep is the difference that the Torah allocates them to two distinct leadership roles: king and prophet. Kings had power. They could levy taxes, conscript people to serve in the army, and decide when and against whom to wage war. They could impose non-judicial punishments to preserve social order. Hobbes famously called kingship a “Leviathan” and defined it in terms of power. The very nature of the social contract, he argued, was the transfer of power from individuals to a central authority. Without this, there could be no government, no defence of a country and no safeguard against lawlessness and anarchy.
Prophets, by contrast, had no power at all. They commanded no armies. They levied no taxes. They spoke G-d’s word, but had no means of enforcing it. All they had was influence – but what influence! To this day, Elijah’s fight against corruption, Amos’ call to social justice, Isaiah’s vision of the end of days, are still capable of moving us by the sheer force of their inspiration. Who, today, is swayed by the lives of Ahab or Jehoshaphat or Jehu? When a king dies, his power ends. When a prophet dies, his influence begins.
רב משה שטרנבוך
בזכרוני נכשהגיע לארץ ישראל לביקור הנשיא מאמריקא נחלקו הרבנים אם
לברך שנתן מכבודו או לא ולדעתי כיון שמעמדו הוא תלוי ועומד בהחלטת בית הנבחרים שמה שבכחם להדיח אותו וסמכויותיו מוגבלים מאד אין לברך ולא דמי למלוכה באנגליה אפי' בזמננו שעל כל חוק חדש המלכה חותמת ולא מתחלפת אלא המלוכה בידה וביד צאצאיה וכבודה ככבוד מלכים ממש... ולא דומה לכבוד מלך כלל והוא רק כעין ראש ממשלה ולא בגדר מלך כלל
Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Teshuvos VeHanhagos 2:139
I remember when the President of the United States came to America for a visit, and the rabbis disagreed on whether to treat him like a king who we must give high levels of respect to. My position is that, since the President of the U.S is only in power for a limited period of time, and is based on a decision of the people, and because his powers are limited constitutionally, we do not need to say a blessing when we see him. He is not parallel to the English king/queen, even in our time, as any new piece of legislature must be signed by the king/queen, and the power is passed down hereditarily. Furthermore, the queen is actually royalty, unlike in America where it is just an elected office...thus the American president is not at all like the British queen, and is not considered royalty at all
שו"ת דברי חיים, י"ד, 1:30
אם כי נתבאר בדברי הפוסקים איסור להלוך בדרכי האומות אין כוונתם ח"ו להקל בכבודם כי אדרבה
הזהירונו מאד לכבד שרי המדינה ויושביה
ואפילו האומות שהכבידו עולם עלינו למאד בדרך נגישה גדולה ואכזריות המה המצרים עם כל זה אחר הוציאנו הבורא יתברך שמו משם והיינו ברום המעלות בלא פחד אנוש הזהירנו יתברך שמו אל תתעב מצרי ולא להקל בכבודם מחמת שנהנו מארצם קל וחומר האומות שאנו חוסים בצלם ונתן לנו השם יתברך חן בעיניהם להקל עולם מעלינו והמה פורשים כנפיהם עלינו לשמרנו מרגשת פועלי און והמה אוהבי חסד ומכבדי תורה ישלם השם משכורתם הטוב בודאי עלינו לכבדם ולרוממם
ולכן אין כוונת הפוסקים הנ"ל להקל בכבודם ח"ו ולא נצטווינו להמנע חברתינו אתם ואדרבה גדולי החכמים החסידים היו בבית המלך ושריו תמיד כמו ר' אבהו ור' יהושע בי קיסר וכמו שמואל ורבא כידוע מהתלמוד
Shu"t Divrei Chaim, Yoreh Deah 1:30
When the rabbis wrote in their legal decisions that it is forbidden to follow the ways of the nations, their intention was not, heaven forbid, to not give their leaders respect. Conversely, the rabbis warned us many times to respect the leaders and citizens of the nation, even included the nations that have made our lives much more difficult and painful. Even in spite of all of the terrible things that the Egyptians did to us, when God took us out and ensured that we were no longer afraid of them, God nonetheless warned us not to hate the Egyptians and to continue to show them respect since we derived benefit from their land. If this is the rule regarding the Egyptians, how much more so should it apply to the nations that have made our lives easier, and who respect our God, who have spread out their wings to protect us from those who wish to harm us, these nations which love kindness and respect our Torah, may God grant them their appropriate reward. Such nations we should certainly respect them and praise them, and thus clearly the rabbis would want us to show proper respect to such nations, and they certainly would not want us to refrain from joining civic organizations. It clearly must be the opposite! We know from our tradition that the greatest sages of the Talmud, like Rava and Shmuel, like R' Abahu and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Kisar were part of the government, and thus there is no problem in welcoming nations to join forces with the government.
כל צרכי ציבור שאינן יכולין להשוות עצמן יש להושיב כל בע"ב הנותנים מס ויקבלו עליהם שכל אחד יאמר דעתו לשם שמים וילכו אחר הרוב
For any community matter on which they cannot find common ground, they should convene all taxpayers, and they should agree that each will voice his view altruistically, and they will follow the majority
(יט) דבר אחר: זה שאמר הכתוב (הושע ד): כרובם כן חטאו לי כבודם בקלון אמיר. מהו כרובם? אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני: שכל מה שהגדולים עושין, הדור עושה. כיצד? הנשיא מתיר ואב ב"ד אוסר?! הנשיא מתיר ואני אוסר?! והדיינים אומרים: אב ב"ד מתיר ואנו אוסרים?! ושאר הדור אומרים: הדיינין מתירין ואנו אוסרים?! מי גרם לכל הדור לחטוא? הנשיא שחטא תחילה...
...Another thing: When it says [in Scripture]: "The more they increased (k'rubam), the more they sinned against Me: I will change their dignity to dishonor" (Hosea 4:7). What [does it mean] "they increased (k'rubam)"? Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani said: "It is natural that people should imitate their leaders. How? If the Patriarch gives permission to do that which is forbidden by the Torah, the chief of the court says to himself: 'If the Patriarch permits this, why should I forbid it?' The Justices say: 'If the chief of the court has given permission, why should we forbid?' And the people say: 'If the Justices have given permission shall we consider it forbidden?' It is clear that it is the initial sin of the Patriarch which has caused the entire generation to be sinful...
ת"ר מעשה בתלמיד אחד שבא לפני ר' יהושע א"ל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה אמר ליה רשות בא לפני רבן גמליאל א"ל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה א"ל חובה א"ל והלא ר' יהושע אמר לי רשות א"ל המתן עד שיכנסו בעלי תריסין לבית המדרש כשנכנסו בעלי תריסין עמד השואל ושאל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה א"ל רבן גמליאל חובה אמר להם רבן גמליאל לחכמים כלום יש אדם שחולק בדבר זה אמר ליה ר' יהושע לאו א"ל והלא משמך אמרו לי רשות אמר ליה יהושע עמוד על רגליך ויעידו בך עמד רבי יהושע על רגליו ואמר אלמלא אני חי והוא מת יכול החי להכחיש את המת ועכשיו שאני חי והוא חי היאך יכול החי להכחיש את החי היה רבן גמליאל יושב ודורש ור' יהושע עומד על רגליו עד שרננו כל העם ואמרו לחוצפית התורגמן עמוד ועמד אמרי עד כמה נצעריה וניזיל בר"ה אשתקד צעריה בבכורות במעשה דר' צדוק צעריה הכא נמי צעריה תא ונעבריה מאן נוקים ליה נוקמיה לרבי יהושע בעל מעשה הוא נוקמיה לר' עקיבא דילמא עניש ליה דלית ליה זכות אבות אלא נוקמיה לר' אלעזר בן עזריה דהוא חכם והוא עשיר והוא עשירי לעזרא הוא חכם דאי מקשי ליה מפרק ליה והוא עשיר דאי אית ליה לפלוחי לבי קיסר אף הוא אזל ופלח והוא עשירי לעזרא דאית ליה זכות אבות ולא מצי עניש ליה אתו ואמרו ליה ניחא ליה למר דליהוי ריש מתיבתא אמר להו איזיל ואימליך באינשי ביתי אזל ואמליך בדביתהו אמרה ליה (דף כח ע'א) דלמא מעברין לך אמר לה [לשתמש אינש] יומא חדא בכסא דמוקרא ולמחר ליתבר אמרה ליה לית לך חיורתא ההוא יומא בר תמני סרי שני הוה אתרחיש ליה ניסא ואהדרו ליה תמני סרי דרי חיורתא היינו דקאמר ר' אלעזר בן עזריה הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה ולא בן שבעים שנה
Our Rabbis have taught : It happened that a disciple came before R. Joshua and asked him, "Is the evening-Tefillah voluntary or obligatory?" He replied, "It is voluntary." Then he came before Rabban Gamaliel and asked him the same question. He replied, "It is obligatory." He thereupon said to him, "But has not R. Joshua told me it was voluntary!" Rabban Gamaliel said to him, "Wait until the shield-bearers enter the House of Study." When the shield-bearers had assembled, the questioner stood up and asked, "Is the evening-Tefillah voluntary or obligatory ?" Rabban Gamaliel replied, "It is obligatory." Rabban Gamaliel said to the Sages, "Is there anyone who has a different opinion on this matter?" R. Joshua said to him, "No" Then Rabban Gamaliel said to him, "But has it not been reported to me in thy name that it is voluntary ?" And he added, "Joshua, stand up that it may be testified against thee." R. Joshua stood up and said, "If I were living and he dead, the living would be able to deny the statement of the dead ; but seeing that I am alive and he also is alive, how can the living deny the statement of the living ! " Then Rabban Gamaliel sat and commenced his discourse while R. Joshua remained standing, until all those present began to murmur and cried to Huspit the interpreter, "Stop !" and he stopped. They said, "How long is [Rabban Gamaliel] going to continue heaping indignities upon [R. Joshua]? Last year he slighted him on the question of the New Year ; he slighted him on the question of the firstborn in the incident of R. Sadok; and here again he has slighted him. Come, let us depose him! Whom shall we appoint in his stead ? Shall we appoint R. Joshua ? [No ;] he is a party in the incident. Shall we appoint R. 'Akiba ? [No ;] perhaps Rabban Gamaliel will plague him because of his lack of ancestral merit. Let us, then, appoint R. Eleazar b. 'Azariah, for he is wise, rich, and he is of the tenth generation from Ezra. He is wise, so if anyone puts difficult questions to him, he will be able to reply to him ; and he is rich, so if it be necessary for someone to attend at the palace of the Emperor, he will be qualified to do so ; and he is of the tenth generation from Ezra, so he possesses ancestral merit and Rabban Gamaliel will not be able to worry him on that score." They attended upon R. Eleazar b. 'Azariah and asked him, "Would the master consent to become the head of the College?" He replied, "I will first go and take counsel with the members of my household." He went and consulted his wife, and she said to him, (28a) "Perhaps they will soon depose thee!" He answered "[Let a man] use the cup of honour for one day, and to-morrow let it be broken." She said to him, "Thou hast no grey hair!" That day he was eighteen years of age; but a miracle was wrought for him, and eighteen rows of hair turned grey. That is what R. Eleazar b. 'Azariah meant when he said, "Behold I am like one seventy years old," and not "I am seventy years old."
(ח) פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֽוֹף׃ (ט) פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ שְׁפָט־צֶ֑דֶק וְ֝דִ֗ין עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (פ)
(8) Speak up for the speechless, for the rights of all the unfortunate. (9) Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.