R. Chanina, l'adjudant grand-prêtre dit: Priez pour le bien-être du roi, [même les rois des nations]. Car sinon pour sa [(monarchie)] peur, un homme avalerait son compagnon vivant, [comme il est écrit (Habacuc 1:14): "Et tu as fait un homme comme le poisson de la mer"—Tout comme les poissons de la mer, tous ceux qui sont plus gros les uns que les autres avalent l'autre, de même avec les hommes. Si la peur du roi n'était pas sur eux, tous ceux qui étaient plus grands que les autres avaleraient l'autre.] R. Chanina ben Teradyon dit: Si deux sont assis et qu'il n'y a pas de paroles de Torah entre eux, cela s'appelle "le siège des moqueurs, "comme il est écrit (Psaumes 1: 1):" Et il ne s'est pas assis dans le siège des moqueurs. ((2): Car dans la Torah du L rd est son désir, etc. ") Mais si deux sont assis et il y a des mots de la Torah entre eux, la Shechinah est entre eux, comme il est écrit (Malachie 3:16): "Alors les craignants du Seigneur se sont parlé [(deux sont sous-entendus)], et le L rd a écouté et entendu, et un livre de souvenir a été écrit devant lui pour les craintes du L rd et les penseurs sur son nom. " Cela ne me dit que deux. D'où est-ce que je tire que même si quelqu'un s'assoit et étudie la Torah, le Saint béni soit-Il met de côté une récompense pour lui? De (Eichah 3:27): "Il s'assiéra seul et se taira, [apprenant par lui-même d'une" petite voix calme "], car il l'a pris sur lui" [c'est-à-dire, c'est comme si le don du toute la Torah était pour lui seul.]
Tur
Laws of Judges - (Pirkei Avot 1:18) “Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: On three things is the world established - on judgement, on truth, and on peace.” Rabbeinu Yonah z”l explains: The explanation cannot be that “because of these three things the world was created,” because the beginning of the chapter said that on three things does the world stand, and these three are not listed there. Rather, first [Pirkei Avot] relates that for three things the world was created, i.e. Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Chasadim. Torah, that it says, (Proverbs 8:22) “God made me as the first of His way...” The Torah says, “I was created before all of the creations and for my sake were all creations created.” Similarly, [the world was created] because of “Avodah” because God chose Israel from all of the nations, and chose the Beit Hamikdash from all of the places, that they should serve Him in it, and for its sake to God create the world. And similarly Gemilut Chasadim, which is the middah of chesed that causes one to be approved before God. Here [Pirkei Avot] states, “...the world is established.” This means that after the world was created it is preserved through these things - that through judges that judge between people does the world continue. Because were it not for law the more powerful would conquer. And similarly truth, like it says in Shabbat 104a, that lies have no legs [to stand on] but truth is the foundation and it is a big pillar for all things. And similarly, peace, as they say in Avot (Pirkei Avot 3:2), “One should pray for the peace of the government, for were it not for the fear of government, people would swallow each other alive.”
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Gray Matter IV
Even if one does not subscribe to Rav Kook’s approach, the importance of effective political leadership is emphasized by Chazal’s comment (Avot 3:2) that “One should pray for the welfare of the government [of the country in which he resides], for if not for government's discipline, each man would swallow his friend alive (i.e. utter pandemonium will prevail).”
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Gray Matter I
Rav Henkin does note that not all authorities apply Dina DeMalchuta Dina to laws that are designed to maintain order, when these laws contradict Halachah (as opposed to taxes, which all authorities consider binding). Nonetheless, he claims that all would agree that when there are no Jewish courts to legislate rules for an effective society, the civil government's laws to maintain order must be followed. This reasoning appears especially true in the area of copyright law, as virtually all countries in the world maintain them, and contemporary business cannot function without them. Chazal teach us that when government discipline is lacking, pandemonium ensues (Avot 3:2). Similarly, if copyright laws were not enacted (and obeyed), economic pandemonium would result.
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Sefer HaChinukh
And this commandment is only practiced in the Land [of Israel], since we only judge capital cases in the Land. And whoever has [it] in his hand to make a judgment and does not do so, has negated this positive commandment. And his punishment is great - 'as were it no for the fear of [judgment], man would swallow his fellow alive.' And Ramban, may his memory be blessed (on Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam, Shorashim 14) does not count this commandment in his calculation. And so [too] does he not count any of the four death penalties of the court - which are stoning, burning, killing (decapitation) and strangulation - that Rambam, may his memory be blessed, counted as four commandments. And [Ramban] said that through the verse of "and you shall destroy the evil from within you" (Deuteronomy 17:7), the Torah commanded more generally that we destroy those that do evil from among us; and within it are included all of the laws. And when Scripture specifies the laws according to their punishments afterwards, it is not considered a [separate] commandment, as it is only an elucidation of the topic. And 'the sage will choose for himself that which is straight in his eyes.'
