814 JEW. 
obfervance is to be paid to laws, either written or tradi¬ 
tional j and, in confequence, the prefent fanhedrim lay¬ 
down, as their firft principle, that an entire obedience be 
paid to the laws of the ftate in all- civil and political mat¬ 
ters.” 
The three firft doctrinal decifions were on Polygamy, 
Divorce, and Marriage. 
• The grand fanhedrim declares that polygamy, admitted 
by the law of Mofes, is only a fimple o^ conditional fa¬ 
culty ; that the doctors made it fubordinate to the huf- 
band’s fortune, in cafe it .was fufficient to fupply the ne- 
cefiities of more than one wife ; that, from the firft time 
of the difpe'rfion of the Ifraelites in the edit, they acknow¬ 
ledged the neceflity of harmonizing their cuftoms with 
the civil laws of the ftates in which they eftabli(hed them- 
felves ; and that, this ufage being aboliflied in almoft every 
European nation, it is prihibited to marry a fecond wife dur¬ 
ing the life-time of the firf. 
The divorce, permitted by the law of Mofes, is only va¬ 
lid inafmuch as it- operates the entire diflolution of every 
tie even of a civil nature; but as, according to the civil 
code which they decree mult govern every Ifraelite as a 
Frenchman or an Italian, no divorce is completed till the 
court of law has awarded its fentence; confequently, the 
Mofaic divorce has ceafed to have xt full effebl on both parties, 
till the civil authority has diJJ'olved the congenial bond. If, 
therefore, any rabbi (hall affift in making a divorce, inde¬ 
pendent of the civil code, he violates the prefent religi¬ 
ous ftatute, and fliall ceafe to exercife his rabbinical func¬ 
tions. 
That marriages fliall be contracted according to the 
civil codes of France and Italy, and no rabbi fiall affift at 
a marriage which the civil officer does notfjft allow. Further, 
in refpe£t to the inter-marriages of Jew's with Cliriftians, 
•which (hall be contracted according to the civil code, they 
are declared valid and obligatory; and, although thefe can 
never be folemnized with religious ceremonies, they fliall 
not be anathematifed, as hitherto they Jiave been. 
On thefe"three decifions the prefident, M. Furtado, ad- 
drefied the fanhedrim with copious eloquence. From his 
fpeech we fliall glean (ome few paflages: tlTe matter .and 
the manner offer fome novelty. y 
“ If our exiftence among all the nations of the earth, 
if the antiquity of our origin, if our long adverlities, ex¬ 
hibit one of thofe political phenomena which prefs on 
our attention, and excite our furprife, our convocation 
in the capital of France, and under the protection of the 
greateft Chriftian prince, the unexpected exiftence of a 
fanhedrim, of that ancient body whole origin is loft in the 
night of time, is a phenomenon not lefs remarkable. Wje 
owe our admiration, our love, our gratitude, to the hero 
who governs us ; he has given us this folenin opportu¬ 
nity to render a fplendid homage to the purity of that 
religion which neither time, nor difperfions, nor the re- 
Tolutions of empires, could deltroy. Eternal as nature, 
durable as fociety, its principles neceffarily have furvived 
all human viciflitudes. 
“ DoCtors of the law', and notables of Ifrael: No mo¬ 
narch had hitherto conceived the means by which he 
might (Field us from the unfavourable prepoffeflions 
which long habit, more than any other motive, has at¬ 
tached even to the name of Jew ; none had yet effayed if, 
by a clear interpretation of our dogmas, we could be mo¬ 
rally prepared for the enjoyments of political and civil 
rights; none had yet feized on the fimple notion, but fer¬ 
tile in its refults, fume it influences our own character, 
•and the opinion of the people among whom we live, to 
convoke an affembly of Ifraelitifli deputies; to interro¬ 
gate tliem concerning their dogmas, their cuftoms, and 
their eccHfialtical hierarchy, in a grand fanhedrim. The 
fdvereigns of Europe, guided by timid and uncertain po¬ 
litics, imbued with a falfe notion that it was impoflible to 
work our regeneration, attribute to our dogmas effects 
which are only to be aferibed to their laws, and reproach 
us with habits which they have compelled us tp contract. 
“ Seated on the firft throne of the world, a man, the 
mod aftonilhing man whom hiftory prefents to us, has 
given the fragments of Ifrael a new sera and a better fate 1 
Since the time our anceftors have ceafed to form a na¬ 
tion, the viciflitudes which have afflicted our exiftence: 
have been interrupted but by (hort intervals. Nations 
civilized themfelves; we among them, alone, remain bar- 
-barous! Human vanity feemed pleafed by our humili¬ 
ation. But let us turn away our eyes from contemplat¬ 
ing the horrid picture of our paft calamities; ages of fa- 
naticifm and ignorance, where the miferable Ifraelite was 
caft out of the fociety of men, and could find no refting- 
place. Frederic the Great, in Pruflia ; Jofeph II. in Auf- 
tria; Leopold, in Tufcany; Alexander, in Ruflia; by 
their enlightened toleration, have commenced the great 
work of our regeneration ; but it was referved for the hero 
of this age to accompli(h' it on a more enlarged plan. 
“This fortunate change in our fituation will refolve a 
great problem in legiflatioii and morality ; we fliall now- 
lee, having obtained a national character, whether the If¬ 
raelite (hall Hill perfevere in that repugnance he has fo 
long fliown for agriculture and the arts ; for ufeful trades,^ 
and the profeflion of arms. We (hall fee if that infulated 
ftate in which he has hitherto exifted, and if the practices- 
of money-tranfaCtions, are in him the refult of a peculiar 
character, produced by his religion ; or if we are not to 
aferibe thefe to exterior circumltances, totally unconnect¬ 
ed with his holy religion.” 
In the fitting of the aoth of February, the fanhedrim 
came to the fourth doctrinal point, fraternity. The If¬ 
raelite has been too often fufpeCted of a want: of fraternal 
affection by the nations among whom he is refident; and 
the popular prejudice infers, that the Jew in France and 
in Italy does not confider his Chriftian fellow-citizen but 
in the character of a ftranger. The great fanhedrim 
therefore declare, that “all Ifraelites are obliged by the 
law of Mofes, to confider as their brethren all men who 
acknowledge as God the Creator of the Univerfe, and who 
grant them liofpitable enjoyments and civil rights ; that 
the facred writings ordain we fliould love our own like— 
nefs, and do nothing to another but what we would ano¬ 
ther (hould do to us; this doCtrine is univerfal with the 
greateft doCtors of Ifrael; the Mofaic code commands 
every Ifraelite to praCtife all the charities of life by re¬ 
ceiving ltrangers in their towns ; it confequently follows, 
that fo much ttfie more niuft we cherifli the fame fenti- 
ments towards thofe whofe laws proteCl us, wliofe armies 
defend us, and who permit us to adore the Eternal ac¬ 
cording to our rites.” The great fanhedrim therefore or¬ 
dains, that every Ifraelite Jhall blend with his fellow fubjeEls 
as a brother and a citizen, fince they with him acknowledge as 
God the Creator of the Univerfe. 
When, at the fifth fitting, 25th of February, the fan¬ 
hedrim voted this decifion refpeCting fraternity, it was 
* diftinguilhed by a remarkable circumftance. The chief 
having delivered a difeourfe in Hebrew, afterwards read 
in French, and having declared that this fourth decree 
had been adopted unanimoufly, the aflembly, infpired by 
an inftantaneous fyropathy, diverting itfelf of the religi¬ 
ous gravity of its character, echoed aloud their unani¬ 
mous plaudits. We are here forcibly reminded of the 
Well-known anecdote of the celebrated verfe of Terence, 
which, at the theatre, occafioned a fimilar fenfation in 
the breafts of all prefent. 
In the fitting of the 29th of February, they read' the 
fifth, fixth, and feventh, decifions. • 
The fifth decifion was on the moral duties which thelawr 
of Moles prefcribed to the Hebrew, to be obferved be¬ 
tween him and the individuals of the nation among whom 
he refided. The great fanhedrim declare, that the De¬ 
calogue of the facred writings, which contain the precife 
commandments of God, do not make any diftinCtion be¬ 
tween man and man, who acknowledge one God, creator 
of the univerfe. That this doCtrine has been taught by 
the doCtors of the law, who never ceafe to inculcate the. 
love 
