[Avodah] Mechallel Shabbos to destroy a non-kosher phone

[Lisa Liel]

On 7/3/2012 7:41 PM, Zev Sero wrote:
> On 3/07/2012 5:35 PM, Allan Engel wrote:
>> On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 10:13 PM, Zev Sero <zev at sero.name 
>> <mailto:zev at sero.name>> wrote:
>
>>> No, I'm being precise.  He has exactly the authority he needs to make
>>> such a takanah.
>
>> Only to people who wish to sublimate their their will to his authority.
>> And almost by definition, anyone who defies that authority  has
>> withdrawn his or her consent.
>
> Hardly.   Or else no melech and no beis din would ever have authority.

Except that both a melech and a beit din have a source for their 
authority.  A rebbe does not have any source for melech status.  It may 
be given to him voluntarily by his followers, but it has no halakhic 
status.  It's just a lifestyle choice.

Lisa