[Avodah] hakaras hatov required??

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Feb 02, 2012 at 07:09:53AM +0000, Elazar M. Teitz wrote:
:> Doesn't R' Chanina segan hakohanim (Avos 3:2) require hakaras hatov of
:> the gov't just for creating the fear that reduces crime? Or are we told
:> to praying for its peace for other reasons?<

: I understood it to mean that we pray for its peace so that it can
: continue to create the fear, not as an expression of thanks for it.

Thinking out why I assumed it was hakaras hatov, I realized this:

Shalom is only one of the things such a state needs to function well
enough to provide a deterrant level of law inforcement. So why not
"pray for your gov't" in general? I therefore read it as a halakhah to
pray for its peace, because of the recognition that it provides yours.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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