Princess Eudoxie asks to see Rachel in prison, and persuades her to withdraw her allegations.
Rachel agrees; Cardinal Brogni agrees to commute Léopold's sentence, and to spare Rachel and Eléazar if they convert.
Eléazar at first answers that he would rather die, but then makes plans to avenge himself.
 He reminds the Cardinal of the fire in his house near Rome many years before and tells the Cardinal that his infant daughter did not die.
He says that she was saved by a Jew and that only he knows who he is.
 If he dies, his secret will die with him.
Cardinal Brogni begs him to tell him where his daughter is, but in vain.
Eléazar sings of the vengeance that he will have in dying, but he suddenly remembers that he will be responsible for the death of Rachel.
 The only way to save her is to admit that the Cardinal is her father and that she is not Jewish but Christian.
The act ends with the opera's most famous aria, Eléazar's 'Rachel, quand du Seigneur'.
He does not want to sacrifice Rachel to his hatred of Christians, and renounces his revenge.
However, when he hears the cries from a pogrom in the streets, he decides that God wants him to bear witness in death with his daughter to the God of Israel.
Princess Eudoxie asks to see Rachel in prison, and persuades her to withdraw her allegations. Rachel agrees; Cardinal Brogni agrees to commute Léopold's sentence, and to spare Rachel and Eléazar if they convert. Eléazar at first answers that he would rather die, but then makes plans to avenge himself.  He reminds the Cardinal of the fire in his house near Rome many years before and tells the Cardinal that his infant daughter did not die. He says that she was saved by a Jew and that only he knows who he is.  If he dies, his secret will die with him. Cardinal Brogni begs him to tell him where his daughter is, but in vain. Eléazar sings of the vengeance that he will have in dying, but he suddenly remembers that he will be responsible for the death of Rachel.  The only way to save her is to admit that the Cardinal is her father and that she is not Jewish but Christian. The act ends with the opera's most famous aria, Eléazar's 'Rachel, quand du Seigneur'. He does not want to sacrifice Rachel to his hatred of Christians, and renounces his revenge. However, when he hears the cries from a pogrom in the streets, he decides that God wants him to bear witness in death with his daughter to the God of Israel.
La Juive