Halakhah su Nedarim 3:16

Rav Yosef, however, notes that the Rambam (Hilchot Gezeilah Va’Aveidah 5:11 and in his commentary to the Mishnah Nedarim 3:4) and the Meiri (Nedarim 28a) specifically mention that dina d’malchuta dina applies to both Jewish and non-Jewish kings.¹⁵³Rav Yosef also quotes the Rashba (Teshuvot 2:134), who rules that dina d'malchuta dina applies to those laws of Jewish kings which are designed to protect the people. According to Rav Yosef, taxes are included in this category, since the government uses the taxes to promote the security of its citizens. . The Beit Yosef (C.M. 369 s.v. U’Mah She’Amar Bein She’hu Melech) marshals evidence to this opinion from the Gemara (Bava Kama 113a). This passage seeks to interpret a Mishnah in Nedarim (3:4) which seems to imply that we do not follow the rule of dina d’malchuta dina. The Gemara answers that the Mishnah applies to unjust tax collection. The Beit Yosef observes that the Gemara does not answer that dina d’malchuta dina does not apply to Jewish kings in Eretz Yisrael and that this is what the Mishnah in Nedarim speaks about.

Even though the Rishonim and Shulchan Aruch speak of “kings,” Rav Ovadia Yosef rules that dina d’malchuta dina applies in a democracy. He marshals two proofs to this assertion. He cites Bava Kama 113a, as did the Beit Yosef, which does not simply resolve the problematic Mishnah of Nedarim 3:4 by stating that it speaks of a country that is not ruled by a king. Indeed, Rav Yosif notes that Chazal were aware of countries that were not ruled by a king, most famously Rome (as noted by Tosafot, Avodah Zarah 10b s.v. Kol Nesi’eha).