"Not since the capture of Jerusalem by Titus have so many enlightened men belonging to the religion of Moses been able to assemble in one place. Dispersed and persecuted, the Jews have been subjected either to punitive taxation, or to enforced abjuration of their faith, or to other obligations and concessions equally opposed to their interests and religion. Present circumstances are in all respects unlike those prevailing in any other age. The Jews are not expected to abandon their religion or to submit to any change that would violate it either in the letter or in the spirit.
"During the persecution of the Jews and during the periods when they went into hiding in order to escape persecution, various kinds of doctrines and customs came into existence. The rabbis took it upon themselves to interpret the principles of their faith whenever there was a need for clarification. But the right to religious legislation cannot be exercised by individuals; it must be exercised by a general congress of Jews legally and freely assembled, including members of the Spanish and Portuguese, Italian, German and French communities and representing the Jews of more than three-fourths of Europe."
From The Mind of Napoleon: A Selection of His Written and Spoken Word, edited and translated by J. Christopher Herold.
More Napoleon and the Jews
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Napoleon and the Jews
Was Napoleon Enlightened in a Bigoted Era?
Dates of Importance
Grand Sanhedrin
Christian Practices
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