Edict from His Majesty Friedrich Wilhelm King of Prussia, Sovereign Prince of Oranien zu Magdeburg, concerning the Hebrew prayer “Aleinu le-Shabeach.”)

(GERMANY)

J. Blaspil

Berlin

January 15th, 1716

Edict printed in two columns in German and transliterated into Judaeo-German. Signed by Friedrich Wilhelm concerning punishment and expulsion for the recitation of the offending Hebrew passage in the prayer of Aleinu le-Shabeach "they bow to foolishness and emptiness and pray to a God that saveth not."

See S. Reif, Judaism and Hebrew Prayer (1993) p. 240 and EJ Vol. II, cols. 557-58

The Aleinu le-Shabeach prayer has been censored since the Middle Ages due to the apparent insult to Christianity. It was alleged that the numerical value (316) of the Hebrew word Va-rik (“and emptiness”) is the same as that of "Yeshu." The edict also denounce the custom of spitting and jumping when reciting the phrase, adding insult to injury. Displays the extraordinary level of interference the secular authorities brought to bear in seeking to control the lives of Jews.