[Avodah] dina demalchuta

[Lisa Liel]

On 7/19/2011 9:37 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 10:27:52PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
>>> DDD is not an obligation? You want to say it's an issur against violating
>>> their dinim?
>>
>> No, it's neither one.  Not unless you show me a source that derives
>> such an obligation or prohibition from it...
>
> Then what are you saying DDD is, if Shemu'el was neither telling us
> what to do, nor what not to do?

If I understand what Zev has been saying, he's saying that DDD means 
that those things the goyim claim are their dinim have the status of 
dinim, and that we can rely on the fact that they have din-ish intent. 
The hava amina would be, I guess, that the dinim of the goyim are 
hefker-ish and can be considered arbitrary shtuyot on their part.

Zev, correct me if I've misunderstood you.

Lisa