dina demalchuta dina

Edit

Pronunciations

dina demalchuta dina (DEE-nuh de-mal-KHOO-tuh DEE-nuh) listen

Record a Pronunciation

Definitions

  • n. The law of the state (is the law); Jews should accept the laws of the country in which they live.

Example Sentences

  • "Where is the line between halacha and dinas dimalchusa [dina?] [W]here do you keep the [local] laws over halacha[?]" (source)

  • "Dina demalchuta dina allowed us to survive and thrive as a people through our historical travels." (source)

Record a Sentence

Languages of Origin

  • Aramaic

Etymology

  • A דינא דמלכותא דינא 'the law of the land is the law'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      dina demalchusa dina, dine demalchusa dine, dinas dimalchusa dinas

Notes

  • This law establishes that Jews adhere to the civil laws of the land in which they live, on top of their own Jewish laws. There is, however, some dispute regarding whether this maxim applies only to financial/monetary law or can be considered all-encompassing.

Edit     Something missing from this entry? Inaccurate? Feel free to suggest an edit.