HEBREW TRANSLITERATION
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ENGLISH
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MEANING
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Ladino
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The colloquial language of Sephardic Jews, based primarily on Spanish, with words taken from Hebrew, Arabic and other languages; and written in the Hebrew alphabet
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Lag B'Omer
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Approximately halfway between Pesach and Shavuot during the counting of the Omer. It is recognized as the time in which the Hadrianic persecutions somehow ceased; there were celebrations in the shtetl surrounding recognition of Bar Kochva's heroism; and it was the day of death of Rabbi Simon bar Yohai. It is considered a scholar's holiday, today celebrated by school picnics and weddings (since they are prohibited during the omer period); it is alternately referred to as Lag L'Omer by Sefardim
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Lamed -
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L
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Twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
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Lamed-vavniks (Yiddish)
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One of the 36
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According to one legend, the fate of the human race rests on the shoulders of the 36 truly righteous ones of each generation. Those who are of that select group are thus designated by the Hebrew letters for the number 36, lamed-vav, and colloquially called "lamed-vavniks"
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Lapidut
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Torch; One who brings forth light
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Also a term for the Mashiach
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Lashon Harah
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Evil tongue
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Encompasses all forms of forbidden speech (gossip, slander, lying, etc.).
According to the Talmud, slander is a hideous capital crime; a slanderer is like
one who denies G-d; G-d says of the slanderer: "He and I
cannot live together in the world" (Arachin 15b) |
Lashon Kodesh (al. Leshon HaKodesh) |
The 'Holy Tongue'
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The Mishnah refers to the Hebrew language as leshon ha-kodesh,
the holy tongue, to distinguish it from the Aramaic vernacular or
other "secular languages" spoken by the Jewish people (Sotah
7:2-4; 8:1). According to RaMBaM, the reason for calling Hebrew
leshon ha-kodesh lies inthe fact that
it falls short of indecent expressions and "has no special
name for the organ of generation... nor for the act of generation itself... It
only describes them in figurative language and by way of hints, as if to
indicate thereby that these things should not be mentioned, and should therefore
have no names; we ought to be silent about them, and when we are compelled to
mention them, we must manage to employ for that purpose some suitable
expressions, although these are generally used in a different sense..." (Guide
3:8).
Others have affirmed that Hebrew is G-d's language, in which He gave us the
Torah. It was the Hebrew language in which the prophets expressed their
lofty ideas and our fathers breathed forth their sufferings and joys. One
cannot understand the people of Yisrael without understanding Hebrew |
Latkes
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Potato pancakes, also called levivot, part of the Chanukkah celebration because they are fried in oil
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Lebun
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A process using heat (or blowtorch) in order to make a certain set of utensils kosher for Pesach
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Lechah Dodi
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Come My Beloved
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A mystical prayer that speaks of the Shabbat (as) Bride, sung on Friday evening to welcome Shabbat
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L'Chaim
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To Life
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Used as a toast
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Lechu Neranenah |
Come, Let Us Sing |
Tehillim 95 begins with the words "come, let us
sing" and is the first of the six psalms that introduce the Shabbat-eve service.
Together with the hymn welcoming the Shabbat bride (Lechah
Dodi), they form what is termed Kabbalat
Shabbat, the serviced immediately preceding the Maariv on Friday
evenings.
The six psalms, selected by the Kabbalists of the 16th century in Eretz
Yisrael, are said to symbolize the six workdays of the week. The seventh
psalm follows Lechah Dodi, since it is "a song for the
Shabbat day" (Tehillim 92)
The reason given for the selection of Tehillim 95-99 and 29 is that the
initial letters of these six hymns, in the Hebrew text, have the numerical value
of 430, equaling that of the word nefesh
(soul).
Furthermore, Tehillim 29 contains the Divine
Name 18 times, corresponding to the 18 benedictions fo the
Shemoneh Esrei prayer, and the 18 times G-d is
mentioned in the Shema.
Tehillim 29 ends with an assurance of G-d's
favor to his people |
Leshanah HaBa'ah |
Next Year in Yerushalayim |
Liturgically used twice a year: at the end of the Seder service and at the end
of the Neilah service. This custom is explained on the basis of the
well-known difference of opinion that prevailed between the Tannaitic Sages
Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua. According to one, the future deliverance
of Yisrael will take place during Nisan just as they were liberated from
Egyptian slavery during Nisan; according to the other the future deliverance
will occur during Tishri |
L'Shanah Tovah Tikateiv V'Tichatem
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May you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year
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Levayat HaMet
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The mitzvah of accompanying the dead to the grave, by way of funeral and interment
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Levi (pl. Leviim)
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Levite
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A descendant of Levi, the son of Yaakov (excluding the priestly descendants of Aharon), whose role was to assist the Kohen in the Temple
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Levush (pl. Levushim)
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Garment
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Lifnim Mi-Shurat HaDin |
Higher Moral Law (literally: "inside the line of the law" but interpreted in the
sense of "beyond the line of the law") |
Refers to a man's duty not to insist on the legal rights accorded to him in a
lawsuit, such as compensation and damages, but to renounce them in favor of his
litigant who happens to be economically weak. If the matter in
dispute is a question of money between a rich man and a poor man, the judge is
not to give a wrongful verdict in favor of the poor man out of antipathy to the
rich and powerful. Sympathy and compassion are great virtues, but even
these feelings must be silenced in the presence of justice |
Lishmah |
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The 6th chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) that begins with the
statement that whoever engages in Torah for its own sake merits many thins; nay
more, the whole world is worthwhile for his sake. He is described as a
beloved friend, who loves G-d and mankind; he pleases G-d and mankind. The
Torah invests him with humility and respect. Men are benefited by his
counsel and sound wisdom, by his understanding and strength. RaMBaM, in his
Mishnah Commentary, points out:
Since man is accustomed to act according to the good
or the harm which may result, he loses nothing by shaping his conduct with a
view to reward and punishment until, by habit and zeal, he arrives at an
understanding of the truth and serves purely out of love. The human
spirit is narrow and, while acquiring wisdom, hopes for other, more material
advantages. In searching for truth, the goal is truth itself.
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Livyatan
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The name of an archetypal sea-creature, which is destined to wage battle against the Behemot to only be consumed by the
righteous at the end of days
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Luach
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Calendar
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Specifically referring to either the months of the year, when holidays occur, and which Torah portions are to be read on which week
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Lulav (pl. Lulavim)
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Palm Branch
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On of the four species taken up and ritually shaken on the Festival of Sukkot (Booths). It is bound up with two other species--the hadat (myrtle branch) and the aravah (willow branch) and held together with the etrog during the performance of this ritual. These altogether are referred to as the Lulavim
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