RABBINIC AUTHORITY- POWER SHARING

ensued. The bitter enmity lasted for several years and involved mutual excommunications as well as the removal of minor officials from judiciaries. It eventually led to Saadiah's removal but only after the entire matter had been brought to the attention of the Caliph . Upon the ascent of a new Caliph in 932 the Exilarch emerged victorious over Saadiah. This was not the end of the matter. A reconciliation between the Exilarch and Saadiah occurred but that was followed by another difficult period which lasted until Saadiah's death in 942.

This episode, which has been preserved in more vivid detail, demonstrates that the struggle for power is more vigorous when an unusual figure emerges and the general authority is less centralized than it had been in the tight knit community of Babylonia.

Early Ashkenazic Communities

As we look at the relationship between the secular Jewish authorities and the rabbinate after the decline of the Gaonate in the rising communities of northern Europe , we see that it depends very much on the size of the community and whether it was new or old. For example, in northern France of the eleventh and twelfth centuries we find no conflicts between the rabbinic authorities and secular Jewish authorities as these communities were very small and there was room for only one source of authority. This was partially due to the fact that the professional rabbinate had not yet fully developed. The communities seemed to be governed by knowledgeable leaders who permitted some democracy. The rabbis who governed the religious life also took care of the communal issues, judicial questions and represented the Jewish community to the Christian rulers.’ They used the herem(excommunication) to enforce their decrees on the community,'® and other punishments from time to time as well. In all of this they do not appear to have been challenged by any secular Jewish authorities. Similarly, charities were organized entirely through the synagogue community."

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