Schema Jisrael | Shema Yisrael, a hymn by Rabbi Moritz Mayer (1867)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=51208

Date: 2023-05-26

Last Updated: 2023-05-28

Categories: Shema

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., English Translation, German vernacular prayer, hymns, paraliturgical shema, שמע shema

Excerpt: "Schema Jisrael (Shema Yisrael)" is a hymn written by Moritz Mayer (1821-1867) and posthumously published in Hymns, for Divine Service in the Temple Emanu-El (1871), hymn №33, pp. 66-67. It may have been published earlier in the author's lifetime. If you know of an earlier source for this hymn, please leave a comment or contact us. . . .

Content:

Source (German)	Translation (English)
Schema Jisrael	Shema Yisrael
1. Hör’, Israel, Gott, unser Gott, der Ewig-Eine! Er offenbart im hehren Strahlenscheine Dir seine Lehre rein und hell. Sie war in Finsterniss Dein Licht, Und Deine Seele wankte nicht — O höre Israel!	1. O Israel hear! The Lord, our God, the One above, Reveals, in brilliant rays of heav’nly love, To Thee His doctrine pure and clear. It was in darkness e’er this light, Did guard thy soul from fall by night, O! hear, hear, Israel!
2. Einzig ist Er! — Nur an den Einen sollst Du glauben; Doch Ihn lass Dir von keinem Wahne rauben — Und nahet der Versuchung Heer, Halt’ fest an Gott, an Ihn allein! Er wird Dein Schutz, Dein Retter sein — O höre Israel!	2. The One is He! To that sole God alone do cling, Him let no doubt or error from thee wring; And though temptation press on thee, Cleave fast to Him, and never yield! He will, protect thee, be thy shield O! hear, hear, Israel!
3. In Ewigkeit Währt seine Liebe! — Sein Erbarmen Schlingt um das Weltall sich mit Vaterarmen, Unwandelbar in alle Zeit! So wahre fest auch sein Gebot! “Gott, unser Gott, ist einzig Gott — O höre, Israel!”	3. Eternal stands His love! The world His boundless grace Entwines, as with a father’s kind embrace, And to all time His love expands. Then firmly guard His law alone The Lord, our God, the Lord is One! O! hear, hear, Israel!

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“Schema Jisrael (Shema Yisrael)” is a hymn written by Moritz Mayer (1821-1867) and posthumously published in Hymns, for Divine Service in the Temple Emanu-El (1871), hymn №33, pp. 66-67. It may have been published earlier in the author’s lifetime. From 1865-1867, Mayer would occassionally fill in for Rabbi Samuel Adler at Temple Emanu-El, as noted in the synagogues meeting minutes.^[1] As noted by Anton Hieke in “Rabbi Maurice Mayer: German Revolutionary, Charleston Reformer, and Anti-Abolitionist,” Southern Jewish Life, 17 (2014), p. 48 and ftn. 8.  If you know of an earlier source for this hymn, please leave a comment or contact us.

Source(s)

 

Notes[+]

Notes

1	As noted by Anton Hieke in “Rabbi Maurice Mayer: German Revolutionary, Charleston Reformer, and Anti-Abolitionist,” Southern Jewish Life, 17 (2014), p. 48 and ftn. 8.

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)
  Bio: 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.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady
• 
  Name: Moritz Mayer
  Bio: Rabbi Moritz Mayer (originally Moses Maier, later Maurice Mayer; 1821-1867) born in Dürckheim-on-the-Haardt, Germany, fled to the United States and to New York as a political refugee of the 1848 revolution. In 1859, after seven years as the rabbi of Ḳ.Ḳ. Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina, he returned in poor health to New York where he contributed frequently to the Jewish press, and translated various German works into English: Rabbi Samuel Adler's catechism, Abraham Geiger's lectures on Jewish history, and Ludwig Philipson's pamphlet, Haben die Juden Jesum Gekreuzigt? (the Crucifixion from the Jewish Point of View), et al. In 1866, a number of his English translations of Fanny Neuda's teḥinot in German (from her Stunden Der Andacht, 1855/1858) were published in a volume he titled Hours of Devotion. The work also included a number of his own prayers as well as those of Marcus Heinrich Bresslau. The following year, Moritz Mayer passed away. He was 45 years old. (We are indebted to Anton Hieke for his research on Mayer, "Rabbi Maurice Mayer: German Revolutionary, Charleston Reformer, and Anti-Abolitionist" published in Southern Jewish Life, 17 (2014), pp. 45-89.) For Mayer's translations of prayers by other authors, please visit here.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/moritz-mayer

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