Hebrew Glossary

A B D E F G H I K Ch L M N O P R S Sh T Tz U V Y Z
Hebrew Transliteration	English Translation	Meaning
Alef	Prefix	Marking 1st person, singular in the future tense of the Intensive (Pi'el) and Causative (Hif'il) stems in Hebrew verbs.
AH	Suffix	Marking direction or destination in nouns (equivalent to "-ward" in English e.g. daromah southward); Expressing (poetically) desire or appeal (equivalent to "let's" in English) in 1st person, plural, using the future tense of Hebrew verbs. For example, instead of nelech (we shall go) one may say nelchah (let's go)
Abba	Father	An affectionate way to say "father", hence "Dear father." Yisraeli children call their fathers "Abba"
Abba Ha'ah	The Higher Father
Ach (pl. Achim)	Brother
Acharit	Last / Latter
Acharit HaYamim	End of the Days	A Hebrew term for Jewish eschatology. When the "olam hazeh" (present age) is coming to a close and the "olam habah" (world to come) is about to begin. This term stems from Yeshayahu 2:1; Bereishit 49:1 and Micha 4:1: "The prophecy that Yeshayahu son of Amotz saw, concerning Yehuda and Yerushalayim: It will happen in the end of days (b'acharit ha-yamim):..." "Then Ya'akov called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days (b'acharit ha-yamim)." "It will be in the end of days (b'acharit ha-yamim) that the mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established as the most prominent of the mountains, and it will be exalted up above the hills, and people will stream to it."
Acharon (pl. Acharonim)	Last One	Designation for recent rabbinic authorities as distinguished from the Rishonim, early authorities. The dividing line is placed between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries C.E.
Acharon shel Pesach	Last Day of Passover
Achashverosh	Ahasuerus	King of Persia who figured prominently in the Book of Ester. Modern scholarship identifies him with Xerxes (486-465 B.C.E.). Achashverosh first married Vashti and later took Ester to be his wife and next queen
Achavah B'Mashiach	Brotherhood in Mashiach (Messiah)
Achdus	Unity
Acheinu	Our Brother
Achei sheker	False Brothers
Achila Gassa		Gluttony
Achilah		Eating
Ach'shevei		One has accorded it the status of food
Achot (pl. Achayot)	Sister
Achoteinu	Our Sister
Achraius	Accountability
Achyon	Nephew
Adam	Man	First human being created by G-d, and created "B'tzelem Elokim," "in the image of G-d." One of the meanings of this is that he has "bechirah chofshit", free will, and the ability to choose between what is tov, (good) and that which is ra, (evil).
Adamah	Earth / Ground
Adam HaRishon	The First Man
Adam Kadmon	Primordial Man	A term used in the Kabbalah to denote the stage of the divine unfolding which provides the link between En Sof and the Sefirot. This stage is conceived of in anthropomorphic terms as cosmic 'man'. As the Infinite emerges from its utter concealment It produces the entity Adam Kadmon containing the Sefirot in potentia. Spiritual entities, known on the analogy with physical illumination as 'lights', stream forth from various organs of Adam Kadmon's 'body' to produce the vessels into which further lights then flow so as to form the Sefirot. Behind all this is the ancient idea that the human body is written large in the cosmos, man being created literally in the image of G-d
Adar		Twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, sixth month of the Hebrew Civil calendar. Corresponding approximately to March. Consists of 29 days in an ordinary year and 30 days in a leap-year, when a month is inserted between Adar and Nisan. This added month is known as Adar Sheni (second Adar). Adar Sheni is also called Va-Adar. Adar 7th is anniversary of the birth and death of Moshe; Adar 13th is the Fast of Ester (Ta'anit Ester); Adar 14th and 15th, the Festival of Purim. In the leap-year the festival of Purim is celebrated on the 14th and 15th of Adar Sheni, whereas the 14th and 15th of the first Adar are observed as Purim Katan (minor Purim).
Adat HaShem	Congregation of HaShem
Addir Bimluchah	Glorious Kingship	Addir Bimluchah, an alphabetical acrostic poem of unidentified authorship, is mentioned by a disciple of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg in the thirteenth-century work Tashbatz. The refrain alludes to several biblical verses, such as: "Yours, O Hashem, is the greatness...for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours, O Hashem, is the kingdom..." (1Divre HaYamim 29:11). This poem has been inserted among the closing hymns of the Pesach Haggadah
Addir Hu	Glorious He Is	Composed by an anonymous poet, consists of eight stanzas of eight lines each and is sung at the end of the Pesach Seder. Its tune, which has been popular since the beginning of the seventeenth century, has eventually become something of a Pesach motif in the worship service of many synagogues.
Admat Kodesh	Holy Ground
Admo"r (Adonainu, Morainu, VeRabbeinu)	Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rebbe	Honorific title given to scholarly leaders of a Jewish community, usually specifically a Chassidic term.
Adon	Master	Sovereign, Ruler
Ad-nai	My L-rd, My Master	My Sovereign / my Master; used in Judaism in lieu of the Tetragrammation (the Hebrew name of G-d consisting of four letters, which is usually rendered in English as "Y-K-V-K" (replace the 'K' with an 'H')
Ad-nai Echad	YKVK is One
Ad-nai Elokeinu	YKVK our G-d (YKVK, our G-d)
Ad-nai Tzedekanu	YKVK our Righteousness
Ad-nai Tzeva'ot	YKVK of Hosts; YKVK of Armies
Ad-nai Yireh	YKVK Will See; In the Mount of YKVK it Will be Seen
Ad-neinu	Our Master
Adon HaKatzir	Master of the Harvest
Ad-ni	My Master
Adonim	Masters
Adon Olam	Master of the Universe; Master of All; Eternal Ruler	Title of a prayer that is part of the morning service and is recited before bedtime.
Afikoman (Greek)	An After Dish	Mentioned in the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:8), and is the piece of matzah broken off from the central of the three matzot used in the Pesach Seder service the first two nights of Pesach. The breaking of the middle matzah in two and the hiding of the afikoman, which is shared by all at the table at the conclusion of the meal, are intended to awaken the children's curiosity. It has been suggested that the afikoman is wrapped in a napkin as a symbol of the unleavened dough which, wrapped in their garments, the Yisraelim carried on their shoulders out of Egypt (Shemot 12:34). According to some, the afikoman is symbolically concealed between the cushions, upon which the leader of the Seder service reclines, in keeping with a literal rendering of Shemot 12:17..."you shall watch the matzot". However, the practice may simply be designed to preserve the afikoman intact till it is distributed as the last thing eaten at the Seder service in remembrance of the paschal lamb which, during Temple times, was eaten at the end of the Pesach meal. The minhag (custom) of encouraging the children to snatch the afikoman and make it disappear for a while, until a promise of a gift has been obtained, is said to be based on a misinterpretation of the talmudic statement which reads: "The matzot are eaten hastily on the nights of Pesach so that the children should not fall asleep" (Pesachim 109a)
Agalim	Bulls
Agam HaEsh	Lake of Fire
Aggadah (pl. Agadot)	Lit. "Telling"; Narration; Story; Philosophical Material	Sections in the Talmud and the Midrash which do not constitute Halachah; stories popular anecdotes, biblical expositions. Most midrashic material is aggadic. About 30% of the Babylonian Talmud is taken up with Aggadah, the remaining 70% consists of legal subject matter (Halachah), containing discussions leading to rules of conduct as prescribed by the unwritten, oral law. The aim and purpose of the aggadic literature is to inspire and edify, and to move people to the kind of righteous behavior which the Halachah requires. Aggadot and Mashalim
Agmat Nefesh	Grief
Agudah	Bound Together; Union
Agunah (pl. Agunot)	Lit. "one who is chained"	A woman whose husband had disappeared and who could not remarry without witnesses to his death; a bound woman.
A"H (Alav Hashalom [masc], Aleha Hashalom [fem.])	Peace Be Upon Him/Her	For any deceased Jew.
Aharon	Aaron	Light Bearer. Elder brother of Moshe. Son of Amram and Yocheved, of the priestly tribe of Levi. Aharon married Elisheva from the tribe of Yehudah and had four sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. Aharon became Moshe's spokesman in Egypt to lead the Bnei Yisrael out of bondage to the Egyptians at the direction of HaShem.
Ahav	Love
Ahavah Rabbah	Great Love	A morning prayer that precedes the Shema' giving thanks to G-d for the gift of the mitzvot and the Torah. For more information see: Ahavah Rabbah/Ahavat Olam
Ahavah Shel achvah	Brotherly Love
Ahavat haEmet	Love of the Truth
Ahavat haKesef	Love of Money
Ahavat HaShem	Love of The Name (The Creator)	Maimonides writes concerning the love of HaShem: "When a person contemplates G-d's great and wondrous works and obtains a glimpse of G-d's incomparable and infinite wisdom, he will straightway love and glorify him, and long to know his great Name, even as David said: My whole being longs for G-d, the living G-d" (Yesode ha-Torah 2:2). Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch states: "To love G-d means to realize that life has value only through G-d. We love G-d by loving the Torah and meeting its commands. There should be nothing dearer to us than the faithfulness which we owe to our G-d"
Ahavat Yisrael	Love of the People of Israel
Airusin	Betrothal, Engagement
Aishet Chayil	The Woman of Valour	Song in praise of the Jewish woman, written by King Shlomo (Solomon). Traditionally sung Friday night, between "Shalom Aleichem" and the Blessing of the Children. More Info: Eshet Chayil
Akdamut (al. Akdamot)	Introduction	Chanted on the first day of Shavuot before the reading of the Torah, and was composed in Aramaic by Rabbi Meir ben Isaac of the 11th century. Consists of 90 verses alphabetically arranged; they contain acrostically a twofold alphabet, the name of the author and that of his father, and a short petition. There are ten syllables to each verse, and one rhyme runs through the entire poem. This mystical hymn deals with the indescribable greatness of the Creator, the excellence of the Torah and the future hope of Yisra'el. Akdamut, serving as an introduction to the Ten Commandments about to be read out of the Sefer Torah, consists of two parts. The first part describes the unspeakable majesty of Hashem who created heaven and earth. The second part presents a dialogue between persecuted Yisrael and those who try to persuade him to change his faith to which he clings affectionately and tenaciously. A glowing description of the hoped-for Messianic era then follows, mentioning the contest between the legendary creatures, Livyatan and Behemot. The battle ends with the destruction of both. In Kabbalistic literature the Livyatan is identified with evil, which is destined to disappear in Messianic times.
Akeidah (al. Akedah)	Lit. "Binding"	Scriptural account of G-d's command to Avraham to offer his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice, found in Bereishit 22
Akiva ben Yosef		Great Talmudic storyteller and leader of his people. According to legend, he began his Jewish education at age 40, and his collecting and arranging the whole Oral Law according to subjects laid the foundation for the editing of the Mishnah; a major legal scholar, who established an academy in Bnei Brak, and was also a legendary mystic and martyr. He was tortured and killed by the Romans in 135 CE.
Akkum		Non-Jews who do not even observe the Noachide precepts.
Akrav (pl. Akrabim)	Scorpion
Al Chet	For the Sin	An important Yom Kippur prayer listing sins for which we beg forgiveness.
Alef -	A	The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Also represents the number one.
Alef-Bet	The Hebrew Alphabet	The name is derived from the first two letters of the alef-bet.
Aleinu	It is incumbent upon us	"It is incumbent upon us"...to give praise to the Sovereign of Everything. It is a part of the liturgy recited toward the end of each service, prior to Kaddish, in which G-d's universal power and the particularism of the Jewish people, as well as the Covenant that binds us, is articulated. Originally a poem written by Rav for Rosh Hashanah and later incorporated throughout the year. See Aleinu for more information.
Aleinu L'shabeach		A prayer of thanksgiving for being separated from the heathens.
Al Hamichyah		Abridged version of Birkat HaMazon
Al Hanisim (al. Al Ha-nissim)	For the Miracles	Thanksgiving for the miracles G-d wrought for us added to the Amidah and Birkat HaMazon (Grace after the Meal) on the festivals of Chanukah and Purim, when G-d's miraculous intervention delivered the Jewish people into safety.
Aliyah (pl. Aliyot)	Ascent; Ascending; Going up	Immigration to the Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). The individual given the honor of immigrating to Yisrael is called oleh. To "have an aliyah" refers to the honor of being called up to the bimah to recite or chant the blessings before and after the Torah reading, or to raise it, or to dress it following the reading. In the more Traditional synagogues, the Kohen is called first, then followed by a Levi and Yisrael. The number of aliyot of those called up to the Torah is determined by the day (Monday, Thursday, holiday, or Shabbat) on which the Torah is read.
Aliyah Leregel	Pilgrimage
Al-killayon	Incorruptibility
Almah (pl. Almot)	Young woman
Almanah (pl. Almanot)	Widow
Almot	Virgins
Al Netilat Yadayim		The blessing over the washing of hands before the meal.
Alter	Old
Am	People
Amah (pl. Amot)		A unit of length, equal to six "tefachim," (approximately 48 centimeters or 19.2 inches).
Amah Teraksin		Space of 1 Amah wide between the 2 curtains which separated the HaKodesh (Holy Place) and the Kodesh HaKodoshim (The Holy of Holies)
Amal	Toil
Amalek (pl. Amalekim)		Was the son of Elifaz and his concubine Timna, and was the grandson of 'Esav. The Amalekim became known as the bitter enemies of the Yisraelim (Shemot 17:8-16) and came to symbolize the archetypal enemy of the Jewish people in each generation. Haman was a descendant of Amalek. For more information see Article: Amalek
Amen (Amein; Omein)	So Be It	Occurs 14 times in the Torah as a formula of confirmation or agreement. During the period of the Second Beit HaMikdash, Amen served as a response to benedictions and prayers recited outside the Beit HaMikdash. In place of Amen, the response used in the Beit HaMikdash was: "Blessed be his glorious majesty forever and ever." The Mishnah states that "when the Kohanim and the people...heard the distinctive name of G-d pronounced by the Kohen HaGadol, they would exclaim: 'Blessed be His glorious Kingdom forever and ever.' " (Yoma 6:2)
Am HaAretz	People of the Land	Used pejoratively in the first century. A term used in the Scriptures for citizens, or a particular class of citizens. In rabbinic literature is used for persons or groups that dissented from or were unlearned in rabbinic halachah and rigorous purity and tithing norms. Sometimes it signifies the unlearned, sometimes is used condescendingly (boor). It was also used of the broad mass of Jewish people of the 1st century CE, who cannot be categorized into any of the sub-groups of the time.
Amidah (pl. Amidot)	"Standing" Prayer	Set of 18 prayers recited daily by observant Jews. Standing prayer, quietly murmured, that is part of each daily service, alternatively called the HaTefillah, the (central) prayer, because the liturgy is built around it; also known as the Shemoneh Esrei, the eighteen, because the original compilation of the prayer (for the daily service) had eighteen benedictions in it.
Amirah L'Akum		Telling a non-Jew to do a forbidden act.
Ammud	Pillar
Ammudei HaKehillah	Pillars of the Congregation
Amol	Formerly
Amorah (pl. Amoraim)	Lit. "Speaker"; Interpreter	Applied to the Sages of the Talmud who were active from the time of the conclusion of the Mishnah to the end of the fifth century...approx. a period of 300 years. The Amoraim activity was dedicated chiefly to expounding the Mishnah, which had been compiled and edited by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and had become the code of the Oral Law. They also concerned themselves with all Bible interpretation that is non-legal in character, or Aggadah, and frequently held popular discourses before congregations.
Amos	Amos	Meaning "to be burdened, troubled." 8th century B.C.E. prophet of Judean origin, Amos was a herdsman. His main center of activity was in the northern kingdom. In his book (the third of the twelve minor prophets), he warns the Yisraelim of the grave danger from Assyria. Righteousness for Amos was the most important moral attribute of the divine nature.
Amudah		Reading desk at the front (or center) of sanctuary at which the Torah will be read.
AMUSh (Ad Maia Veesrim Shana)	[He/She should live] for 120 years	Used for salutations in correspondence.
Am Segulah	A Treasured People	See Article: Am Segulah
Am Yisrael	Lit. "the People of Yisrael"	Usually used to refer to the Jewish people (the descendants of Yaakov, also called Yisrael).
Anan (pl. Ananim)	Cloud
Anan Edim	Cloud of Witnesses
Anash		Acronym for Anshei Shlomeinu...the Chassidic Brotherhood
Anashim	Men
Anashim Neemanim	Faithful Men
Anav	Humble
Anavah	Meekness; Humility
Anavat Ruach	A Spirit of Meekness
Anenu (al. Aneinu)	Answer Us	A passage added to the Amidah prayer on public fast day.
Ani Maamin	Lit. "I Believe"	Often sung at the Seder and at Yom HaShoah observances in memory of Holocaust victims who sang this song of faith on their way to their deaths. Ani Maamin, like the poem Yigdal which opens the morning worship for each day, is based on the 13 creeds of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimun, generally known as Rambam or Moses Maimonides (1135-1204). In his commentary on the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1), Maimonides examines the current conceptions of immortality and the doctrines upon which Judaism rests. Summing up his Jewish philosophy, he formulates 13 articles of creed covering the 613 commandments of Judaism: 1)There is a Creator 2) He is One 3) He is incorporeal 4) he is eternal 5) He alone must be worshiped 6) The prophets are true 7) Moshe was the greatest of all prophets 8) The entire Torah was divinely given to Moshe 9) The Torah is immutable 10) G-d knows all the acts and thoughts of man 11) He rewards and punishes 12) Mashiach will come 13) There will be resurrection
Ani Maamin hodaah		Confession
Aninut		Refers to the period of initial grief between death and interment. The mourner is called an onen.
Aniyim	Poor
Anochiyut	Selfishness
Anshei Keneset HaGedolah	Men of the Great Assembly	The Great Assembly consisting of 120 members was a legislative body that functioned during and after the Persian period in Jewish history, about 500-300 before the common era. It is unknown exactly how often this body met in Yerushalayim. Although, it has been suggested that it was called together at critical times when matters of national policy were involved. According to tradition, the Great Assembly received the Torah from the prophets and instituted the basic prayers and benedictions...such as the Shemoneh Esrei. The Great Assembly is also credited with the adoption of the larger portion of the biblical books and the general framework of the synagogue worship. The Mishnah ascribes to the Men of the Great Assembly a passage of three clauses, which reads: "Be patient in the administration of justice; develop many students; and make a fence for the Torah" (Avot 1:1)....the last clause.."and make a fence for the Torah" is understood to mean additional regulations, designed to preserve the biblical laws. The Men of the Great Assembly restored the "crown of the Torah" by composing many of the prayers, enacting ordinances to "protect" the observance of the Torah, and establishing certain holy days and fasts in the Hebrew Calendar.
Anshuldiks	Pardon
Apikoras (pl. Apikorasim)	Heretic; Unbeliever	One who rejects Torah.
Arachin	Estimations	5th tractate of the Mishnah order of Kodashim. It discusses the valuation, for purposes of redemption, of men and things that are vowed to the sanctuary (cf. VaYikra 27:2-29)
Arar	Curse
Aravah (pl. Aravot)	Willow	Known in the Torah as "Arvei Nachal" (Willows of the brook). Two branches from this tree make up one of the "Arbah Minim" (the "Four Species"), which Torah commands to be held together and waved in all directions during the Festival of Sukkot. The symbolism of this act according to one opinion in the Talmud, is to show the supremacy of G-d, its Creator, over Nature
Arayot	Lions
Arbah	Four
Arba'ah Asar	Fourteen
Arbah Chaiyot	Four Living Creatures/Beings
Arbah Kanfot	Four Corners	Also known as Tallit Katan, a rectangular piece of linen or woolen cloth with Tzitzit (Fringes) on its four corners and an opening in the center large enough to admit the head. It is worn under the upper garment throughout the day. Resting on the shoulders, it is suspended over the chest and back. The Arbah Kanfot, resting upon every male from early boyhood, is provided with tzitzit as a reminder of the obligation to keep G-d's mitzvot. No pious Jew would permit himself to walk about without this continuous reminder. The duty of wearing tzitzit derives from BaMidbar 15:39, where we are told: "It shall constitute tzitzit for you, that you may see it and remember all the mitzvot of Hashem and perform them; and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray"
Arbah Minim	Lit. "Four Species"	Commanded by the Torah to be held together and waved in all directions on the Festival of Sukkot to fulfill the mitzvah to "rejoice before Hashem." The "Four Species" consists of the "Etrog" (Citron Fruit), the "Lulav" (Branch of the Date Palm), "Hadasim" (three Myrtle branches), and the "Aravot" (two Willow Branches)
Arbah Parashiyot	The Four Torah Portions	There are four special Sabbaths, two before Purim: Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor, and two after Purim: Shabbat Parah, and Shabbat haChodesh. On these four special days there is extra parasha readings called Parashat Shekalim, Parashat Zachor, Parashat Parah and Parashat haChodesh. See Article: Arbah Parashiyot
Arbah Pinot HaAretz	The Four Corners of the Earth
Arbah Turim	Four Rows	Great legal code written by Jacob ben Asher, a 13th century codifier. The book is divided into four parts: 1) Orach Hayyim (Orach Chayim), dealing with daily conduct, 2) Yoreh Deah, including dietary laws, 3) Even HaEzer, governing personal and family matters; and 4) Choshen Mishpat, dealing with civil law
Arbaim	Forty
Arbaim Yom Varbaim Lailah	Forty Days and Forty Nights
Arbat Elafim	Four Thousand
Arbeh	Locusts
Arelim	Uncircumcised ones
Armilus		See Encyclopedia Judaica Article: Armilus
Aron HaKodesh	The Holy Ark; The Holy Chest	The special cabinet in which the Sefer Torah, Torah scrolls, are kept in the synagogue and is a reminder of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant in which the two stone Tablets were placed. The Holy Ark is called "Heichal" in Sephardic synagogues. The ark is the central object in the synagogue as it used to be in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and then in Shlomo's Temple. The ark in large synagogues contain many scrolls of the Sefer Torah, donated by members of the congregation in the course of many years. As a reminder of the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash, a velvet curtain known as parochet is suspended before the open face of the ark. Special hangings of white silk are used on the High Holydays to symbolize forgiveness and atonement. In keeping with the statement in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 5:23 "you ought to be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father who is in heaven", two symbolic figures of two lions holding the Ten Commandments are generally carved or painted above the ark, as well as deer. See Article: Aron HaKodesh, Where is it?
Aron met	Coffin
Aron Otzaram	Chest of Treasury

Alef

Prefix

Marking 1st person, singular in the future tense of the Intensive (Pi'el) and Causative (Hif'il) stems in Hebrew verbs.

AH

Suffix

Marking direction or destination in nouns (equivalent to "-ward" in English e.g. daromah southward); Expressing (poetically) desire or appeal (equivalent to "let's" in English) in 1st person, plural, using the future tense of Hebrew verbs. For example, instead of nelech (we shall go) one may say nelchah (let's go)

Abba

Father

An affectionate way to say "father", hence "Dear father." Yisraeli children call their fathers "Abba"

Abba Ha'ah

The Higher Father

Ach (pl. Achim)

Brother

Acharit

Last / Latter

Acharit HaYamim

End of the Days

A Hebrew term for Jewish eschatology. When the "olam hazeh" (present age) is coming to a close and the "olam habah" (world to come) is about to begin. This term stems from Yeshayahu 2:1; Bereishit 49:1 and Micha 4:1: "The prophecy that Yeshayahu son of Amotz saw, concerning Yehuda and Yerushalayim: It will happen in the end of days (b'acharit ha-yamim):..." "Then Ya'akov called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days (b'acharit ha-yamim)." "It will be in the end of days (b'acharit ha-yamim) that the mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established as the most prominent of the mountains, and it will be exalted up above the hills, and people will stream to it."

Acharon (pl. Acharonim)

Last One

Designation for recent rabbinic authorities as distinguished from the Rishonim, early authorities. The dividing line is placed between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries C.E.

Acharon shel Pesach

Last Day of Passover

Achashverosh

Ahasuerus

King of Persia who figured prominently in the Book of Ester. Modern scholarship identifies him with Xerxes (486-465 B.C.E.). Achashverosh first married Vashti and later took Ester to be his wife and next queen

Achavah B'Mashiach

Brotherhood in Mashiach (Messiah)

Achdus

Unity

Acheinu

Our Brother

Achei sheker

False Brothers

Achila Gassa

Gluttony

Achilah

Eating

Ach'shevei

One has accorded it the status of food

Achot (pl. Achayot)

Sister

Achoteinu

Our Sister

Achraius

Accountability

Achyon

Nephew

Adam

Man

First human being created by G-d, and created "B'tzelem Elokim," "in the image of G-d." One of the meanings of this is that he has "bechirah chofshit", free will, and the ability to choose between what is tov, (good) and that which is ra, (evil).

Adamah

Earth / Ground

Adam HaRishon

The First Man

Adam Kadmon

Primordial Man

A term used in the Kabbalah to denote the stage of the divine unfolding which provides the link between En Sof and the Sefirot. This stage is conceived of in anthropomorphic terms as cosmic 'man'. As the Infinite emerges from its utter concealment It produces the entity Adam Kadmon containing the Sefirot in potentia. Spiritual entities, known on the analogy with physical illumination as 'lights', stream forth from various organs of Adam Kadmon's 'body' to produce the vessels into which further lights then flow so as to form the Sefirot. Behind all this is the ancient idea that the human body is written large in the cosmos, man being created literally in the image of G-d

Adar

Twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, sixth month of the Hebrew Civil calendar. Corresponding approximately to March. Consists of 29 days in an ordinary year and 30 days in a leap-year, when a month is inserted between Adar and Nisan. This added month is known as Adar Sheni (second Adar). Adar Sheni is also called Va-Adar. Adar 7th is anniversary of the birth and death of Moshe; Adar 13th is the Fast of Ester (Ta'anit Ester); Adar 14th and 15th, the Festival of Purim. In the leap-year the festival of Purim is celebrated on the 14th and 15th of Adar Sheni, whereas the 14th and 15th of the first Adar are observed as Purim Katan (minor Purim).

Adat HaShem

Congregation of HaShem

Addir Bimluchah

Glorious Kingship

Addir Bimluchah, an alphabetical acrostic poem of unidentified authorship, is mentioned by a disciple of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg in the thirteenth-century work Tashbatz. The refrain alludes to several biblical verses, such as: "Yours, O Hashem, is the greatness...for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours, O Hashem, is the kingdom..." (1Divre HaYamim 29:11). This poem has been inserted among the closing hymns of the Pesach Haggadah

Addir Hu

Glorious He Is

Composed by an anonymous poet, consists of eight stanzas of eight lines each and is sung at the end of the Pesach Seder. Its tune, which has been popular since the beginning of the seventeenth century, has eventually become something of a Pesach motif in the worship service of many synagogues.

Admat Kodesh

Holy Ground

Admo"r (Adonainu, Morainu, VeRabbeinu)

Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rebbe

Honorific title given to scholarly leaders of a Jewish community, usually specifically a Chassidic term.

Adon

Master

Sovereign, Ruler

Ad-nai

My L-rd, My Master

My Sovereign / my Master; used in Judaism in lieu of the Tetragrammation (the Hebrew name of G-d consisting of four letters, which is usually rendered in English as "Y-K-V-K" (replace the 'K' with an 'H')

Ad-nai Echad

YKVK is One

Ad-nai Elokeinu

YKVK our G-d (YKVK, our G-d)

Ad-nai Tzedekanu

YKVK our Righteousness

Ad-nai Tzeva'ot

YKVK of Hosts; YKVK of Armies

Ad-nai Yireh

YKVK Will See; In the Mount of YKVK it Will be Seen

Ad-neinu

Our Master

Adon HaKatzir

Master of the Harvest

Ad-ni

My Master

Adonim

Masters

Adon Olam

Master of the Universe; Master of All; Eternal Ruler

Title of a prayer that is part of the morning service and is recited before bedtime.

Afikoman (Greek)

An After Dish

Mentioned in the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:8), and is the piece of matzah broken off from the central of the three matzot used in the Pesach Seder service the first two nights of Pesach. The breaking of the middle matzah in two and the hiding of the afikoman, which is shared by all at the table at the conclusion of the meal, are intended to awaken the children's curiosity. It has been suggested that the afikoman is wrapped in a napkin as a symbol of the unleavened dough which, wrapped in their garments, the Yisraelim carried on their shoulders out of Egypt (Shemot 12:34). According to some, the afikoman is symbolically concealed between the cushions, upon which the leader of the Seder service reclines, in keeping with a literal rendering of Shemot 12:17..."you shall watch the matzot". However, the practice may simply be designed to preserve the afikoman intact till it is distributed as the last thing eaten at the Seder service in remembrance of the paschal lamb which, during Temple times, was eaten at the end of the Pesach meal. The minhag (custom) of encouraging the children to snatch the afikoman and make it disappear for a while, until a promise of a gift has been obtained, is said to be based on a misinterpretation of the talmudic statement which reads: "The matzot are eaten hastily on the nights of Pesach so that the children should not fall asleep" (Pesachim 109a)

Agalim

Bulls

Agam HaEsh

Lake of Fire

Aggadah (pl. Agadot)

Lit. "Telling"; Narration; Story; Philosophical Material

Sections in the Talmud and the Midrash which do not constitute Halachah; stories popular anecdotes, biblical expositions. Most midrashic material is aggadic. About 30% of the Babylonian Talmud is taken up with Aggadah, the remaining 70% consists of legal subject matter (Halachah), containing discussions leading to rules of conduct as prescribed by the unwritten, oral law. The aim and purpose of the aggadic literature is to inspire and edify, and to move people to the kind of righteous behavior which the Halachah requires. Aggadot and Mashalim

Agmat Nefesh

Grief

Agudah

Bound Together; Union

Agunah (pl. Agunot)

Lit. "one who is chained"

A woman whose husband had disappeared and who could not remarry without witnesses to his death; a bound woman.

A"H (Alav Hashalom [masc], Aleha Hashalom [fem.])

Peace Be Upon Him/Her

For any deceased Jew.

Aharon

Aaron

Light Bearer. Elder brother of Moshe. Son of Amram and Yocheved, of the priestly tribe of Levi. Aharon married Elisheva from the tribe of Yehudah and had four sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. Aharon became Moshe's spokesman in Egypt to lead the Bnei Yisrael out of bondage to the Egyptians at the direction of HaShem.

Ahav

Love

Ahavah Rabbah

Great Love

A morning prayer that precedes the Shema' giving thanks to G-d for the gift of the mitzvot and the Torah. For more information see: Ahavah Rabbah/Ahavat Olam

Ahavah Shel achvah

Brotherly Love

Ahavat haEmet

Love of the Truth

Ahavat haKesef

Love of Money

Ahavat HaShem

Love of The Name (The Creator)

Maimonides writes concerning the love of HaShem: "When a person contemplates G-d's great and wondrous works and obtains a glimpse of G-d's incomparable and infinite wisdom, he will straightway love and glorify him, and long to know his great Name, even as David said: My whole being longs for G-d, the living G-d" (Yesode ha-Torah 2:2).

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch states: "To love G-d means to realize that life has value only through G-d. We love G-d by loving the Torah and meeting its commands. There should be nothing dearer to us than the faithfulness which we owe to our G-d"

Ahavat Yisrael

Love of the People of Israel

Airusin

Betrothal, Engagement

Aishet Chayil

The Woman of Valour

Song in praise of the Jewish woman, written by King Shlomo (Solomon). Traditionally sung Friday night, between "Shalom Aleichem" and the Blessing of the Children. More Info: Eshet Chayil

Akdamut (al. Akdamot)

Introduction

Chanted on the first day of Shavuot before the reading of the Torah, and was composed in Aramaic by Rabbi Meir ben Isaac of the 11th century. Consists of 90 verses alphabetically arranged; they contain acrostically a twofold alphabet, the name of the author and that of his father, and a short petition. There are ten syllables to each verse, and one rhyme runs through the entire poem. This mystical hymn deals with the indescribable greatness of the Creator, the excellence of the Torah and the future hope of Yisra'el.

Akdamut, serving as an introduction to the Ten Commandments about to be read out of the Sefer Torah, consists of two parts. The first part describes the unspeakable majesty of Hashem who created heaven and earth. The second part presents a dialogue between persecuted Yisrael and those who try to persuade him to change his faith to which he clings affectionately and tenaciously. A glowing description of the hoped-for Messianic era then follows, mentioning the contest between the legendary creatures, Livyatan and Behemot. The battle ends with the destruction of both. In Kabbalistic literature the Livyatan is identified with evil, which is destined to disappear in Messianic times.

Akeidah (al. Akedah)

Lit. "Binding"

Scriptural account of G-d's command to Avraham to offer his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice, found in Bereishit 22

Akiva ben Yosef

Great Talmudic storyteller and leader of his people. According to legend, he began his Jewish education at age 40, and his collecting and arranging the whole Oral Law according to subjects laid the foundation for the editing of the Mishnah; a major legal scholar, who established an academy in Bnei Brak, and was also a legendary mystic and martyr. He was tortured and killed by the Romans in 135 CE.

Akkum

Non-Jews who do not even observe the Noachide precepts.

Akrav (pl. Akrabim)

Scorpion

Al Chet

For the Sin

An important Yom Kippur prayer listing sins for which we beg forgiveness.

Alef -

A

The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Also represents the number one.

Alef-Bet

The Hebrew Alphabet

The name is derived from the first two letters of the alef-bet.

Aleinu

It is incumbent upon us

"It is incumbent upon us"...to give praise to the Sovereign of Everything. It is a part of the liturgy recited toward the end of each service, prior to Kaddish, in which G-d's universal power and the particularism of the Jewish people, as well as the Covenant that binds us, is articulated.

Originally a poem written by Rav for Rosh Hashanah and later incorporated throughout the year. See Aleinu for more information.

Aleinu L'shabeach

A prayer of thanksgiving for being separated from the heathens.

Al Hamichyah

Abridged version of Birkat HaMazon

Al Hanisim (al. Al Ha-nissim)

For the Miracles

Thanksgiving for the miracles G-d wrought for us added to the Amidah and Birkat HaMazon (Grace after the Meal) on the festivals of Chanukah and Purim, when G-d's miraculous intervention delivered the Jewish people into safety.

Aliyah (pl. Aliyot)

Ascent; Ascending; Going up

Immigration to the Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). The individual given the honor of immigrating to Yisrael is called oleh.

To "have an aliyah" refers to the honor of being called up to the bimah to recite or chant the blessings before and after the Torah reading, or to raise it, or to dress it following the reading.

In the more Traditional synagogues, the Kohen is called first, then followed by a Levi and Yisrael. The number of aliyot of those called up to the Torah is determined by the day (Monday, Thursday, holiday, or Shabbat) on which the Torah is read.

Aliyah Leregel

Pilgrimage

Al-killayon

Incorruptibility

Almah (pl. Almot)

Young woman

Almanah (pl. Almanot)

Widow

Almot

Virgins

Al Netilat Yadayim

The blessing over the washing of hands before the meal.

Alter

Old

Am

People

Amah (pl. Amot)

A unit of length, equal to six "tefachim," (approximately 48 centimeters or 19.2 inches).

Amah Teraksin

Space of 1 Amah wide between the 2 curtains which separated the HaKodesh (Holy Place) and the Kodesh HaKodoshim (The Holy of Holies)

Amal

Toil

Amalek (pl. Amalekim)

Was the son of Elifaz and his concubine Timna, and was the grandson of 'Esav. The Amalekim became known as the bitter enemies of the Yisraelim (Shemot 17:8-16) and came to symbolize the archetypal enemy of the Jewish people in each generation.

Haman was a descendant of Amalek. For more information see Article: Amalek

Amen (Amein; Omein)

So Be It

Occurs 14 times in the Torah as a formula of confirmation or agreement. During the period of the Second Beit HaMikdash, Amen served as a response to benedictions and prayers recited outside the Beit HaMikdash. In place of Amen, the response used in the Beit HaMikdash was: "Blessed be his glorious majesty forever and ever."

The Mishnah states that "when the Kohanim and the people...heard the distinctive name of G-d pronounced by the Kohen HaGadol, they would exclaim: 'Blessed be His glorious Kingdom forever and ever.' " (Yoma 6:2)

Am HaAretz

People of the Land

Used pejoratively in the first century. A term used in the Scriptures for citizens, or a particular class of citizens. In rabbinic literature is used for persons or groups that dissented from or were unlearned in rabbinic halachah and rigorous purity and tithing norms. Sometimes it signifies the unlearned, sometimes is used condescendingly (boor). It was also used of the broad mass of Jewish people of the 1st century CE, who cannot be categorized into any of the sub-groups of the time.

Amidah (pl. Amidot)

"Standing" Prayer

Set of 18 prayers recited daily by observant Jews. Standing prayer, quietly murmured, that is part of each daily service, alternatively called the HaTefillah, the (central) prayer, because the liturgy is built around it; also known as the Shemoneh Esrei, the eighteen, because the original compilation of the prayer (for the daily service) had eighteen benedictions in it.

Amirah L'Akum

Telling a non-Jew to do a forbidden act.

Ammud

Pillar

Ammudei HaKehillah

Pillars of the Congregation

Amol

Formerly

Amorah (pl. Amoraim)

Lit. "Speaker"; Interpreter

Applied to the Sages of the Talmud who were active from the time of the conclusion of the Mishnah to the end of the fifth century...approx. a period of 300 years. The Amoraim activity was dedicated chiefly to expounding the Mishnah, which had been compiled and edited by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and had become the code of the Oral Law. They also concerned themselves with all Bible interpretation that is non-legal in character, or Aggadah, and frequently held popular discourses before congregations.

Amos

Meaning "to be burdened, troubled." 8th century B.C.E. prophet of Judean origin, Amos was a herdsman. His main center of activity was in the northern kingdom. In his book (the third of the twelve minor prophets), he warns the Yisraelim of the grave danger from Assyria. Righteousness for Amos was the most important moral attribute of the divine nature.

Amudah

Reading desk at the front (or center) of sanctuary at which the Torah will be read.

AMUSh (Ad Maia Veesrim Shana)

[He/She should live] for 120 years

Used for salutations in correspondence.

Am Segulah

A Treasured People

See Article: Am Segulah

Am Yisrael

Lit. "the People of Yisrael"

Usually used to refer to the Jewish people (the descendants of Yaakov, also called Yisrael).

Anan (pl. Ananim)

Cloud

Anan Edim

Cloud of Witnesses

Anash

Acronym for Anshei Shlomeinu...the Chassidic Brotherhood

Anashim

Men

Anashim Neemanim

Faithful Men

Anav

Humble

Anavah

Meekness; Humility

Anavat Ruach

A Spirit of Meekness

Anenu (al. Aneinu)

Answer Us

A passage added to the Amidah prayer on public fast day.

Ani Maamin

Lit. "I Believe"

Often sung at the Seder and at Yom HaShoah observances in memory of Holocaust victims who sang this song of faith on their way to their deaths. Ani Maamin, like the poem Yigdal which opens the morning worship for each day, is based on the 13 creeds of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimun, generally known as Rambam or Moses Maimonides (1135-1204). In his commentary on the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1), Maimonides examines the current conceptions of immortality and the doctrines upon which Judaism rests. Summing up his Jewish philosophy, he formulates 13 articles of creed covering the 613 commandments of Judaism:

1)There is a Creator
2) He is One
3) He is incorporeal
4) he is eternal
5) He alone must be worshiped
6) The prophets are true
7) Moshe was the greatest of all prophets
8) The entire Torah was divinely given to Moshe
9) The Torah is immutable
10) G-d knows all the acts and thoughts of man
11) He rewards and punishes
12) Mashiach will come
13) There will be resurrection

Ani Maamin hodaah

Confession

Aninut

Refers to the period of initial grief between death and interment. The mourner is called an onen.

Aniyim

Poor

Anochiyut

Selfishness

Anshei Keneset HaGedolah

Men of the Great Assembly

The Great Assembly consisting of 120 members was a legislative body that functioned during and after the Persian period in Jewish history, about 500-300 before the common era. It is unknown exactly how often this body met in Yerushalayim. Although, it has been suggested that it was called together at critical times when matters of national policy were involved.

According to tradition, the Great Assembly received the Torah from the prophets and instituted the basic prayers and benedictions...such as the Shemoneh Esrei. The Great Assembly is also credited with the adoption of the larger portion of the biblical books and the general framework of the synagogue worship.

The Mishnah ascribes to the Men of the Great Assembly a passage of three clauses, which reads: "Be patient in the administration of justice; develop many students; and make a fence for the Torah" (Avot 1:1)....the last clause.."and make a fence for the Torah" is understood to mean additional regulations, designed to preserve the biblical laws.

The Men of the Great Assembly restored the "crown of the Torah" by composing many of the prayers, enacting ordinances to "protect" the observance of the Torah, and establishing certain holy days and fasts in the Hebrew Calendar.

Anshuldiks

Pardon

Apikoras (pl. Apikorasim)

Heretic; Unbeliever

One who rejects Torah.

Arachin

Estimations

5th tractate of the Mishnah order of Kodashim. It discusses the valuation, for purposes of redemption, of men and things that are vowed to the sanctuary (cf. VaYikra 27:2-29)

Arar

Curse

Aravah (pl. Aravot)

Willow

Known in the Torah as "Arvei Nachal" (Willows of the brook). Two branches from this tree make up one of the "Arbah Minim" (the "Four Species"), which Torah commands to be held together and waved in all directions during the Festival of Sukkot. The symbolism of this act according to one opinion in the Talmud, is to show the supremacy of G-d, its Creator, over Nature

Arayot

Lions

Arbah

Four

Arba'ah Asar

Fourteen

Arbah Chaiyot

Four Living Creatures/Beings

Arbah Kanfot

Four Corners

Also known as Tallit Katan, a rectangular piece of linen or woolen cloth with Tzitzit (Fringes) on its four corners and an opening in the center large enough to admit the head. It is worn under the upper garment throughout the day. Resting on the shoulders, it is suspended over the chest and back.

The Arbah Kanfot, resting upon every male from early boyhood, is provided with tzitzit as a reminder of the obligation to keep G-d's mitzvot. No pious Jew would permit himself to walk about without this continuous reminder.

The duty of wearing tzitzit derives from BaMidbar 15:39, where we are told: "It shall constitute tzitzit for you, that you may see it and remember all the mitzvot of Hashem and perform them; and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray"

Arbah Minim

Lit. "Four Species"

Commanded by the Torah to be held together and waved in all directions on the Festival of Sukkot to fulfill the mitzvah to "rejoice before Hashem." The "Four Species" consists of the "Etrog" (Citron Fruit), the "Lulav" (Branch of the Date Palm), "Hadasim" (three Myrtle branches), and the "Aravot" (two Willow Branches)

Arbah Parashiyot

The Four Torah Portions

There are four special Sabbaths, two before Purim: Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor, and two after Purim: Shabbat Parah, and Shabbat haChodesh. On these four special days there is extra parasha readings called Parashat Shekalim, Parashat Zachor, Parashat Parah and Parashat haChodesh. See Article: Arbah Parashiyot

Arbah Pinot HaAretz

The Four Corners of the Earth

Arbah Turim

Four Rows

Great legal code written by Jacob ben Asher, a 13th century codifier. The book is divided into four parts: 1) Orach Hayyim (Orach Chayim), dealing with daily conduct, 2) Yoreh Deah, including dietary laws, 3) Even HaEzer, governing personal and family matters; and 4) Choshen Mishpat, dealing with civil law

Arbaim

Forty

Arbaim Yom Varbaim Lailah

Forty Days and Forty Nights

Arbat Elafim

Four Thousand

Arbeh

Locusts

Arelim

Uncircumcised ones

Armilus

See Encyclopedia Judaica Article: Armilus

Aron HaKodesh

The Holy Ark; The Holy Chest

The special cabinet in which the Sefer Torah, Torah scrolls, are kept in the synagogue and is a reminder of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant in which the two stone Tablets were placed. The Holy Ark is called "Heichal" in Sephardic synagogues. The ark is the central object in the synagogue as it used to be in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and then in Shlomo's Temple.

The ark in large synagogues contain many scrolls of the Sefer Torah, donated by members of the congregation in the course of many years. As a reminder of the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash, a velvet curtain known as parochet is suspended before the open face of the ark. Special hangings of white silk are used on the High Holydays to symbolize forgiveness and atonement. In keeping with the statement in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 5:23 "you ought to be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father who is in heaven", two symbolic figures of two lions holding the Ten Commandments are generally carved or painted above the ark, as well as deer. See Article: Aron HaKodesh, Where is it?

Aron met

Coffin

Aron Otzaram

Chest of Treasury

Hebrew Glossary

In-depth Glossary of Transliterated & English Translation with their Meanings of the Hebrew Language