The delegates to the Assembly included rabbis from France and Italy . The rabbis participated vigorously in the discussions, though in most instances their comments along with those of the other delegates were not attributed to an individual, as for example the long discussion on lending funds on interest to Jews and non-Jews .''” Rabbis who were not part of the assembly also commented on various matters which were discussed..'"" We do not know of any protest against rabbinic participation in these meetings. On the contrary Sintzhim in particular was praised for his leadership.
CREATING A SANHEDRIN
There had been some notable attempts in earlier centuries to create a Sanhedrin in order to deal efficiently with major problems, but no one had ever imagined that a non-Jew would assemble a Sanhedrin. The
rabbis of France , those invited and those excluded did not oppose it. They may not have been able to oppose the will of Napoleon or of the lay members who sought civil rights, but different avenues were open to them. They could have dragged out the discussions further; they could have abandoned or denounced the entire proceedings. If they felt forced into acquiescence, they could have spoken up after the fall of Napoleon . Nothing like this happened. The French Orthodox rabbis returned to their communities, now organized under government control without a word of protest or any further discussion even decades later.
Let us take a brief look at the special function of the ancient great Sanhedrin. The origins and the way in which the ancient great Sanhedrin functioned are not clear as the various sources contradict each other. This Sanhedrin as a religious and political institution seems to have functioned through the Hellenistic period with its membership changing to reflect the struggle between Saducees and Pharisees . Echoes of these struggles appear in the Mishnah , Tosefta, the Babli and Jerushalmi, Josephus , and the New Testament as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls . It was viewed as the ultimate religious authority.''? Long after