balabusta in blue jeans: ...is [Avi Shafran] seriously proposing that halacha holds that the democratically elected head of state must not exist in a democracy, but be considered a divinely empowered ruler? This despite the fact that his power derives SOLELY from the same democratic system that puts on him checks and balances and gives the rights of dissent to the people who elected him and can darn well unelect him if necessary?
My head is spinning. This proposes that democracy has NO function at all, except as a device to bestow non-democratic powers. I have only one other question. Did Rabbi Shafran hold this belief when Bill Clinton was in office, or is there another statement by Maimonides that a king fooling around on his wife and being a Democrat is grounds for believing the divine annointment has gone away?