[Avodah] dina demalchuta

[David Riceman]

RAF:

<<Another one is the idea of halakhic neemanut.>>

I wonder if you could explain this more precisely.  It seems to me that 
the term is used for a more flexible concept than you imply here.  See 
Igros Moshe YD (1) #54 (pp. 93-94), especially his comments about the 
story in Kesubos about bas R Hisda.

<<The former position would rest on ascribing hefqer beit din hefqer 
power to the melekh.>>

Could this be the machlokes between the two psukim cited in Gittin 36b? 
Ezra got his authority from the king but Yehoshua didn't.

David Riceman