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Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) played a pivotal role in the emancipation of European Jewry, earning the respect of prominent figures such as Johann Gottfried Herder, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and Immanuel Kant. His influential work, Jerusalem (1783), championed religious tolerance, a cause he passionately supported throughout his life. This collection features the complete English translations of Morning Hours: Lectures on the Existence of God (1785) and To the Friends of Lessing (1786), accompanied by a historical introduction and extensive philosophical commentary by Bruce Rosenstock. Central to Mendelssohn's final writings is his enduring friendship with Lessing, which exemplified the potential for a tolerant and enlightened society free from religious conflict. The death of Lessing in 1781 deeply affected Mendelssohn, prompting him to honor his friend through these works. Morning Hours explores significant philosophical themes, including the nature of truth, the foundations of human knowledge, and the basis for moral and aesthetic judgment, while also addressing Mendelssohn's interpretations of Spinoza. In To the Friends of Lessing, he critiques the Schwärmer, or religious fanatic, whom he views as a threat to reason and enlightenment.