Tying Up Some Loose Ends

A couple of follow up points from the past week or so:

• Thank you to Mrs. Cohen & Rabbi Shapiro for pointing out that Alexander has become a popular Jewish name because of Alexander the great.  The Gemara (Yoma 69a) tells the story of Alexander sparing Yerushalayim after being greeted by the Kohen Gadol.  In response, the Jews decreed that many of the sons born that year be named after him, and the name still survives.
• In case it wasn't clear, my cousin was named after Raoul Wallenberg, the great hero of the Holocaust who saved many Jews from certain death.
• A friend of mine had in the past thought about our question about why a tyrant like Paroh deserved the respect of Moshe and Aharon.  He had the opportunity to discuss the question with a Rav whom we both respect greatly, confirmed what we had thought - that the Torah mandates respect for the position of a leader of state even if the individual occupying the position is not worthy of this respect.  As the Mishna in Avos teaches, הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות, שאלמלא מוראה, איש את רעהו חיים בלעו -
  Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, men would swallow one another alive.  The very notion of governmental control, embodied in the head of state is deserving of some degree of respect, at least face to face.  This would seem to apply to all leaders, up to and including Hitler.