(49) There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.
(20) You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
What is the meaning of that which is written: “And you shall not mistreat a convert nor oppress him, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:20)? We learned that Rabbi Natan says: A defect that is in you, do not mention it in another. Since the Jewish people were themselves strangers, they are not in a position to demean a convert because he is a stranger in their midst.
(ז) ... כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכָל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
(7)...For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples.”
(יט) כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתּ֔וֹ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ (כ) כִּ֤י תַחְבֹּט֙ זֵֽיתְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְפָאֵ֖ר אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃ (ס) (כא) כִּ֤י תִבְצֹר֙ כַּרְמְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְעוֹלֵ֖ל אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃
(19) When you reap the harvest in your field, and have forgot a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (20) When you beat your olive-tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. (21) When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, "Can Social Justice Save the American Jewish Soul?", Judaism, Justice and American Life, P. 4-5
If the Exodus created an ethic/tribal consciousness among Jews, it was Sinai that invested in them an understanding of their mission in the world. Jewish existence was to be based on bringing tzedek and mishpat, righteousness and justice, to all God's children. The covenant forged at Sinai committed the Jewish people to a life of ethics and values. It was the spiritual/moral genesis of the Jewish people, and it was powerfully connected to the Jewish people's understanding of what God wants of them. The Torah's teachings about acting with compassion (chesed), protecting the stranger in one's midst (ahavat ger), and pursuing peace (shalom) and truth (emet) shaped the Jewish notion of how one should live in the world. Sinai consciousness is at the root of the Jewish understanding that to live true to the covenant that God established with the Jewish people at Sinai is to live a life of social responsibility.
"the law of the Government [in civil cases] is law," or "the law of the land is the law") is a principle in Jewish religious law that the civil law of the country is binding upon the Jewish inhabitants of that country, and, in certain cases, is to be preferred to Jewish law.
The principle of dina d'malchuta dina means that for Jews, obedience to the civil law of the country in which they live is viewed as a religiously mandated obligation and disobedience is a transgression, according to Jewish law. This general principle is subject, however, to the qualifications that the government enacting the law must be one which is recognized by Jewish law as having legitimacy; the law must apply equitably to all the inhabitants, Jewish and non-Jewish alike; and the law must not contravene the spirit of the laws derived from the Torah even if a particular regulation may be contrary to a provision of Jewish law.
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:
The first mention of דינא דמלכותא דינא, the law of the land being considered law from a halachic standpoint, is in this Gemara.
The Mishna says that a person can lie to a tax collector who is coming from the government, but that would seemingly go against the principle that the law of the land is halacha. However, in this specific case, the tax collector either did not have a set tax, or was not connected to the government. From here, it is evident that דינא דמלכותא דינא only applies when the law, or in this case the tax, is a legitimate standing law coming from the government itself.
(יח) בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּמֶלֶךְ שֶׁמַּטְבְּעוֹ יוֹצֵא בְּאוֹתָן הָאֲרָצוֹת שֶׁהֲרֵי הִסְכִּימוּ עָלָיו בְּנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָאָרֶץ וְסָמְכָה דַּעְתָּן שֶׁהוּא אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם וְהֵם לוֹ עֲבָדִים. אֲבָל אִם אֵין מַטְבְּעוֹ יוֹצֵא הֲרֵי הוּא כְּגַזְלָן בַּעַל זְרוֹעַ וּכְמוֹ חֲבוּרַת לִסְטִים הַמְזֻיָּנִין שֶׁאֵין דִּינֵיהֶן דִּין וְכֵן מֶלֶךְ זֶה וְכָל עֲבָדָיו גַּזְלָנִין לְכָל דָּבָר:
When does the above apply? When the coins issued by a king are the tender of the land. This shows that the inhabitants of that land have accepted him and consider him to be their leader and themselves to be his subjects. If, however, the coins he issues are not the tender of the land, he is considered to be a robber who takes by the force of arms. He and his servants are like a band of armed thieves, whose laws are not binding. Such a king and his servants are considered to be robbers in all respects.
(שסט) בד"א שהמוכס הוא כגזלן במוכס העומד מאליו או אפילו מטעם המלך ואין לו קצבה ולוקח מכל אדם מה שירצה אבל אם פסק המלך ליקח קצבה ידועה מכל אדם והעמיד מוכס לגבות דבר זה אם ידוע שזה המוכס נאמן ואינו מוסיף ליקח יותר מחוק המלך אינו כגזלן דדינא דמלכותא דינא ולא עוד אלא שאסור לאדם לעבור על המכס וכל המבריח עצמו מן המכס הוא גזלן לפי שגוזל מנת המלך בין שהוא מלך עובד כו"ם בין שהוא מלך ישראל
When do we know that the tax collector is a thief? If there is no set tax, even if it is from the king, and he takes whatever he wants with no limit. But, if the king makes a set tax that everyone has to give a known amount, and it is known that the tax collector is trustworthy and wont collect more than necessary, the tax collector is not a thief. Because the law of the land is the law, it is assur for someone to not pay the tax. If they run from the tax, they are a thief. They are stealing from the king (the government) whether it is a king who worships avoda zara or a Jewish king.
"However, Dina D'Malkhuta does not automatically validate all the laws. Besides being subsumed under the category of mammona, the laws must be just, equitable, and applicable to all citizens and residents of the state. The basic idea is that Dina D'Malkhuta is acceptable, but Chamsa D'Malkhuta or Gazlanuta D 'Malkhuta, malevolent, ill-disposed, and unjust laws, is to be rejected. The Jew must only observe the decrees of a just government, but he is not obligated to observe the rulings of a despotic regime. Maimonides ruled that the king may rightfully collect taxes, "if his laws are decreed for all, and are not just directed against one individual."
(יז) מֶלֶךְ שֶׁכָּרַת אִילָנוֹת שֶׁל בַּעֲלֵי בָּתִּים וְעָשָׂה מֵהֶן גֶּשֶׁר מֻתָּר לַעֲבֹר עָלָיו. וְכֵן אִם הָרַס בָּתִּים וַעֲשָׂאָן דֶּרֶךְ אוֹ חוֹמָה מֻתָּר לֵהָנוֹת בָּהּ. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה שֶׁדִּין הַמֶּלֶךְ דִּין:
When a king cuts down trees belonging to private property and uses them for a bridge, one is permitted to cross over it. Similarly, if he destroys homes in order to construct a road or a wall, it is permitted to benefit from it. The same principle applies in all similar situations, because the laws of a king are binding.
- Don't be a bystander (“Lo Ta’amod Al Dam Rei’echa”)
- Equality (“B’tzelem Elokim”)
- Courage (“Ometz Lev”)
- Justice (“Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof”)
- Balancing Concern for Self with Concern for Others (“Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li, Uchsheani L’Atzmi Ma Ani”)
- Leadership (“BaMakom SheAin Ish”)
- Loyalty (“Dibbuk”)
- Pray for the Welfare of the Government (“Mitpalel biShloma shel Malchut”)
- The Law of the Land is the Law (“Dina deMalchuta Dina”)
- Freedom (“Cheirut”)
(טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
(16) You shall not go up and down as a gossiper among your people; neither shall you stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
(ב) לא תעמד על דם רעך. לראות במיתתו ואתה יכול להצילו, כגון טובע בנהר, וחיה או לסטים באים עליו:
You shall not stand idly by [the shedding of] the blood of thy neighbor: [I.e., do not stand by,] watching your fellow’s death, when you are able to save him; for example, if he is drowning in the river or if a wild beast or robbers come upon him. — [Torath Kohanim 19:41; Sanh. 73a]
(ב) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ.
(2) Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, said: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, one person would eat the other alive.
What does it mean to pray for the government?
(כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃
(20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the LORD your God gives you.
(ו) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין בּוֹר יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד, וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד, וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים. ובִמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ:
(6) Hillel would say: A rude person cannot be reverent, an ignoramus (ignorant person) cannot be pious, a shy person cannot learn, an impatient person cannot teach, not everybody who busies themselves with business learns wisdom, and where there are no worthy people try to be a worthy person.