תוספת בית למעוז צור | Supplemental stanza to Maoz Tsur with regard to the present exile, by Rabbi Mosheh Isserlis (ca. 16th c.)

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut), Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Mosheh Isserlis

Shared on:

18 December 2025 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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Tags:

Acrostic signature, combating anti-Jewish oppression, Jewish-Christian relations, מעוז צור Maoz Tsur, particularism and universalism, פיוטים piyyuṭim, polemic

This is a supplemental stanza for Maoz Tsur with regard to the present exile, written by Rabbi Mosheh Isserlis (the ReM”A, 1530-1572), as compiled in the Kitzur Shnei Luḥot haBrit, a controversial yet influential work by Yehiel Michel Segal Epstein Ashkenazi published in 1683.

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

מֵׄעוֹלָם הָיִֽיתָ יִשְׁעִי
כְּבוֹדִי וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי
שְׁׄמַע־נָא קוֹל שַׁוְּעִי
מַלְכִּי אֱלֹהֵי קְדוֹשִׁי
הַׄעֲבֵר חָטָאתִי וּפִשְׁעִי
גַּם בַּגָּלוּת הַשְּׁלִישִׁי
וּמַכְנִֽיעַ יִשְׁמָעֵאל
חַׄזֵּׄקׄ יִשְׂרָאֵל
וּמֵאֱדוֹם תִּפְדֶּה נַפְשִׁי׃

Since of old You have been my salvation,
my power, raising my head.
Hear, the voice of my plea,
my Sovereign, my holy God.
Remove my sin and iniquity,
even in the third exile!
Strengthen Israel,
subduing Ishmael,
and free my soul from Edom!

Notes

Notes
1	נ״א יִשְׁמַע־נָא וזהו נוסח טעות לפי האקרוסטיקון
2	נ״א וֵאלֹהֵי
3	נ״א הָרְבִיעִי וזהו נוסח טעות לפי סכמת החריזה
4	נ״א וְתַכְנִֽיעַ
5	Some texts read “They should hear,” using the future tense rather than the imperative, which is an error as it doesn’t fit the acrostic.
6	Some texts add “and” here
7	Some texts read “fourth,” which is an error as it doesn’t fit the rhyme scheme.
8	Some texts read “and You will subdue.”
9	Referring to Islam
10	Referring to Christianity

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also translates and authors his own original works.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Mosheh Isserlis

Moses Isserles (Hebrew: משה בן ישראל איסרלישׂ; Polish: Mojżesz ben Israel Isserles; a/k/a the ReM"A, 1530-1572), born in Kraków, was an eminent Polish Ashkenazi rabbi, talmudist, and poseq.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "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)