Despite these efforts, the social status of French Jewry did not improve. Quite the contrary, actually. On March 17, 1808, Napoleon issued his Decree Infame (Infamous Decree), greatly restricting Jewish economic freedom. The French ruler seized control of Jewish loans and required Jewish tradesmen to obtain special permits. He also prohibited additional Jews from settling in the already highly populated communities in northwest France, while denying them the opportunity to recruit replacements for military service, a common practice at that time.
Through this decree, Napoleon hoped to soften the harsh personal criticism of his pro-Jewish stance, which included empowering the Jews through the formation of the Assembly. He also reasoned that such intervention would expedite Jewish integration into French society.
The Sanhedrin’s forced abandonment of separate Jewish nationhood was a defining moment in our history. Embracing emancipation meant more than simply tapping into political freedoms and economic opportunity.
In venturing purposefully out of the ghetto, the liberated Jew traveled down an unknown road, far removed from the religious and social insularity of the Middle Ages. All the while the Jew fought hard to prove he belonged, that his fealty was true and his nationalistic fervor strong. The impact of that pursuit, in terms of Jewish identity and commitment, would prove devastating.
Hence when the ghetto walls fell, and the Jews walked out into freedom, they found they were entering a new, less tangible but equally hostile ghetto of suspicion. They had exchanged ancient disabilities for modern anti-Semitism. [Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews, Harper & Row, 1987]
The confounding nature of Napoleon’s actions failed to discourage Jews throughout Europe from hailing him as a “new Cyrus,” the “white eagle” sent to bring liberty and peace to His long persecuted people.
“All Jews look upon Napoleon as their Messiah,” the Austrian consul in Paris wrote to Count Standion, Austria’s foreign minister, in September 1806. Many chassidic leaders endorsed Napoleon in his attempt to defeat Russia in 1812, hoping the ensuing struggle would be the prophesized battle of Gog and Magog, which would usher in the messianic era. Earlier, in 1807, a special prayer in Napoleon’s honor was inserted into Jewish prayer books in countries under French control.
Not all Jews, however, supported Napoleon. During his Russian invasion, Jews in that country were forced to choose between a religious though despotic Czar Alexander and the secular Napoleon.
Leading the opposition to the “liberating” French army was the founder of the Chabad dynasty, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
It was revealed to me…thatif Napoleon wins, the Jews will prosper materially and socially, but will deteriorate spiritually. If the Czar is victorious, the longstanding discrimination will continue, but Jews will draw closer to their Father in Heaven. [Letter to Rabbi Moshe Meisels, quoted in Toldos HaDoros, Volume 3]
Rabbi Shneur Zalman keenly understood the great perils posed by Western Enlightenment. A Napoleonic victory promised physical security and material comfort, but at what price? Would the Jewish people be able to maintain their level of religious devotion in an age of secular humanism, when it was increasingly fashionable to scoff at the need for God and His teachings? Could they expect to preserve a deep spiritual commitment in the face of increased economic opportunity and materialistic pursuits?
A spiritual worm had nestled itself firmly within the golden apple of emancipation. Rabbi Shneur Zalman warned his followers to choose carefully before biting.
History would validate these concerns. Following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Jewish rights were again rescinded throughout his former empire. Jewish youth in particular, raised on the hopeful crest of emancipation, plunged into disillusionment and despair. Many, such as Heinrich Heine, resorted to conversion, claiming baptism was the only real “ticket of admission” into European civilization. Others, while retaining their Jewish identity, nonetheless plunged directly into the sea of emancipation, scornfully dismissing their religious heritage.
