Die Psalmen: Uebersetzt von Mendelssohn – The Psalms: Translated by Mendelssohn

Die Psalmen: Uebersetzt von Moses Mendelssohn, Berlin 1780-1783. German | Call Number: 17/283 | Digital copies of later editions Frankfurt's Digital Judaica Collections: Basel 1825/26 (German in Hebrew letters), Berlin 1921 (with Illustrations)

Between 1780-1783 Moses Mendelssohn published his Sefer Netivot Hashalom, a translation of the Torah and other biblical books into German which also included a commentary known as the Bi'ur (the explanation). Mendelssohn's Bible translation represented a revolutionary moment within the history of the Haskalah movement. He argued that the logic of the Torah resides in the language of the Torah and that both can be understood in non-Hebrew languages. Modern translators tried to explain to the reader what the text meant by annotating the scriptures. Mendelssohn aimed to provide a Jewish audience with a translation that would enhance their understanding of the holy text and supersede previously available translation in Yiddish. The translation was in an elegant High German format, designed to allow Jews to make themselves familiar with the language. The majority of German Jews of this period predominantly spoke Yiddish and many were literate in Hebrew. Mendelssohn's translation project met the opposition of several rabbis and led to threats of a boycott, but became a success. The last volume – the translation of Psalms and Song of Songs – was published in 1783, three years before Mendelssohn's death.