Halakhah sur Pesahim 4:11

This may account for why the rabbis did not call for disobedience in certain situations. The Gemara (Pesachim 56a) relates that king Chizkiyahu removed the door to the Heichal (main hall) of the Beit Hamikdash and sent it to the king of Assyria in order to avoid war. The Gemara relates that Chazal disapproved of this action. Rashi (ad. loc. s.v. V’ Lo Hodu Lo) explains that they felt that Chizkiyahu should have had more faith in Hashem. The Tiferet Yisrael (Pesachim 4:9) explains that Chazal did not call for disobedience to the king because of eimat malchut, fear of the king. Chazal were not afraid that Chizkiyahu would harm them, as Chizkiyahu was an exceptionally righteous king. Rather, it seems that Chazal sought to protect the respect and integrity of the king. They appreciated the ambiguity of the situation, and therefore, it did not warrant mutiny that could threaten societal stability.