Preis der Gotteslehre, a hymn translated by Felix Adler (1868) adapted from a songbook of the Cooperative for Reform Judaism in Berlin (1846)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription), Felix Adler and Unknown Author(s)

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3 August 2022 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Shavuot

Tags:

19th century C.E., English Translation, 57th century A.M., German vernacular prayer, German Reform Movement, hymns

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Source (German)	Adapted (German)	Translation (English)
	Preis der Gotteslehre.
Du, meine Seele, schwinge Dich auf zu Gottes Thron, Aus meinem Mund erklinge Des Dankes Jubelton, Daß Er, der Herr der Gnade, Einst auf dem Sinai, Uns für des Lebens Pfade, Des Lebens Vort verlieh!	Du, meine Seele, schwinge Dich auf zu Gottes Thron, Aus meinem Mund erklinge Des Dankes Jubelton, Dass Er, der Herr der Gnade, Durch Seines Dieners Mund, Und für des Lebens Pfade, Gab Seine Lehre kund!	Sing to the Sovereign of the skies, To His great name alone, Let winged words of praise arise To the Almighty’s throne. For he has given His law of light A radiant star to be, To guide our erring steps aright, For all eternity.
Tief aus des Herzens Fülle Sei Ihm mein Dank gebracht, Das einst sein mächt’ger Wille Gab Licht der Erdennacht, Seit damals er gegeben Den Vätern sein Gesetz, Durch Recht und Lieb’ im Leben Zu fliehn der Sünde Netz.
Ja, Vater, sei gepriesen, Du dort im Himmelszelt, Der solches Heil erwiesen Durch Israel der Welt: Du Helfer in Gefahren, Du Schutz in Leid und Tod, Auch ich will treu bewahren Dein heiliges Gebot.	Ja, Vater, sei gepriesen, Du dort im Himmelszelt, Der solches Heil erwiesen Durch Israel der Welt: Du Helfer in Gefahren, Du Schutz in Leid und Tod, Auch ich will treu bewahren Dein heiliges Gebot.	Praise be to Thee, who didst command, Thy first-born Israel, In every clime, in every land, Thy living truths to tell. O may they ever be our guide, And bear us safely o’er Life’s dark and swiftly flowing tide, Until it flows no more.

“Preis der Gotteslehre” is a hymn translated by Felix Adler from one found in Gebete und Gesänge zu dem von der Genossenschaft für Reform im Judenthum zu Berlin eingerichteten Gottesdienst für die Zeit zwischen dem Schewuoth- und Roschhaschanah-Fest des Weltjahres 5606/7, hymn №23, pp. 19-20 (1846) and published in Hymns, for Divine Service in the Temple Emanu-El (1871), hymn №3, pp. 6-7. We have tentatively dated this translation to 1868, since another hymn by Adler (“School-hymn, no. 36”) can be found appended from another unattributed work in A Guide to Instruction in the Israelitsh Religion (Samuel Adler, trans. M. Mayer, Temple Emanu-El, 1864, 4th printing 1868). The original hymn in German has three stanzas. We do not yet know who the author of the original hymn was. If you know, please leave a comment or contact us.

Source(s)

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Preis der Gotteslehre, a hymn translated by Felix Adler (1868) adapted from a songbook of the Cooperative for Reform Judaism in Berlin (1846)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Felix Adler

Felix Adler (August 13, 1851 – April 24, 1933) was a German-Jewish American professor of political and social ethics, rationalist, influential lecturer on euthanasia, religious leader, and social reformer who, in 1876, founded the Ethical Culture movement. Felix Adler was the son of Rabbi Samuel Adler of Temple Emanu-El, the most prominent reform synagogue in New York City.

Unknown Author(s)

Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.

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Works of related interest:

hymn for shabuoth (Felix Adler and A. Irma Cohon 1921) - cropped

Hymn for Shaḇuoth (Father, See Thy Children) — from a Confirmation hymn by Felix Adler (1868) adapted by Angie Irma Cohon (1921)

Licht und Wahrheit (Felix Adler 1871) - cropped

Licht und Wahrheit | Light and Truth, translated by Felix Adler (1868) from a poem by Eduard Kley (1826)

Confirmation (Felix Adler 1871) - cropped

Confirmation (Father, see Thy suppliant children), a hymn for a Confirmation ritual by Felix Adler (1868)

Thanksgiving, a hymn by Felix Adler (1868)

School-Hymn (Felix Adler 1871) - cropped

School-hymn, by Felix Adler (1868)

Dedication of the Hebrew Temple Emanu-El, corner of Fifth Avenue and Forty-Third Street, New York City, Sept. 11, 1868

Dedication-Hymn, by Felix Adler (1868)

"Charity" by Jacques Stella (ca. mid-17th c.)

Charity, a hymn by Felix Adler (1888)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17