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Ironically, we find that Judaism has more in common with
Christianity than the new ideology that Mendelssohn was
seeking to force upon Judaism.
Both Christianity and Judaism hold that there was an
authentic revelation at Mount Sinai. The difference of opinion
between the two religions was whether this revelation was
supplemented. Judaism maintains that the revelation was
binding for all time, and Christianity maintains that it was
supplemented and changed at a later date. Hence the term
"New Testament," adopted by Christianity, which was sup-
posed to supplant the "Old Testament," a term which the
believing Jew could never accept. What Mendelssohn was
trying to foster were concepts that would undermine the
dogmatic foundation of Judaism, so much so that one could
maintain that he denied the Divine revelation of the Torah and
still be called a Jew.
Mendelssohn was playing religious "hide and go seek." He
was addressing himself to the semi-educated classes of Jews.
He was saying that the ceremonial laws were revealed and the
philosophical laws were not, while any one who was well-
grounded in Jewish law knew there was an entire body of
Jewish law called Hilchot Dayot, laws dealing with concepts
and philosophies, such as the love of God, His existence,
repentance, revelation, humility, etc.
Mendelssohn became an object of derision among the
Rabbis, who would not cease from castigating him.
Smolensken considers Mendelssohn as a central figure for
revolution. In his Hatoeh Bedarkai Hachaim, 43 (He Who Errs in
the Ways of Life) he refers to him as follows:
"He was a merchant and not a Rabbi, and neither was he well
learned in Jewish studies. As a merchant, he sold his people
and his faith... Publicly he embraced everything and secretly
he gave everything away for nothing."
Mendelssohn was a "con artist" of the first order. He was
telling the Jews to move out of the ghetto only by acquiring the
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