Introduction: Communal Organization

Medieval W. Christendom
The organized Jewish communal structures bore heavy responsibility for life
within the Jewish enclaves. The role of government in medieval Europe was minimal,
confined to protection from outside assault, maintenance of peace and order internally,
and dispensing of justice. While protection from assault was a function the lay
authorities of medieval western Christendom normally provided for their Jewish clients,
maintenance of peace and order within the Jewish community and dispensing justice was
normally delegated to the leadership of the Jewish community. For many reasons,
medieval Jews welcomed these burdens.

The first obligation of the Jewish communal structures was the raising of funds
with which to pay the taxes imposed by the non-Jewish authorities and that—at the same
time—could be used for support of Jewish life as well. Taxation legislation was a regular
feature of medieval Jewish communal life, as were rancorous disputes over the equity of
the tax burden.

Key to maintenance of internal order within the Jewish communities of medieval
western Christendom was the Jewish court system. With roots in biblical and talmudic
traditions, the medieval Jewish court system was well grounded and deeply respected.
Jews were regularly accorded the right to have their internal quarrels litigated by the
Jewish courts, operating of course on the principles of talmudic law, and such recognition
by the non-Jewish authorities was deeply appreciated. The Jewish court system
constituted a sturdy foundation for medieval Jewish life in Europe.

Undermining in any way the taxation authority of the Jewish community or the
power of the Jewish court system was a heinous offense in medieval Jewish communal
life. Since there were Jews who occasionally had independent connections to non-Jewish
rulers, exploiting those connections to the detriment of the organized Jewish community
constituted a major danger, was deeply resented, and was harshly criticized.