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HEBREW | |
| agora | an Israeli monetary unit. Pl. AGOROT or AGOROTH. |
| akedah | the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. |
| algum almug | a wood imported into ancient Palestine, probably red sandalwood. |
| aliya aliyah | immigration to Israel. Pl. ALIYAS; ALIYAHS, ALIYOS, ALIYOT, ALIYOTH. |
| almemar | a rostrum. |
| avel+ ovel+ | a mourner esp in the first seven days after death. |
| baal | a false god. Pl. BAALS or BAALIM. |
| barmitsvah barmitzvah | in the Jewish religion, a boy attaining the age (usu. 13) of religious responsibility. [Hebrew 'son of the law']. |
| behemoth | an enormous creature (in Job 40:15 prob. a hippopotamus or a crocodile); fig. something vast. |
| bekah | half a SHEKEL. Pl. BEKAHS. |
| bema bima bimah | a synagogue platform. Pl. BEMAS or BEMATA; BIMAS; BIMAHS. |
| bethel | a place of worship for seamen; a nonconformist chapel. [Hebrew 'house of god']. |
| brachah+ brocho+ | a blessing. |
| bris briss+ brith+ | a Jewish circumcision rite. Pl. BRISSES. [BRISES is valid but as the plural of unrelated BRISE]. |
| cabala cabbala cabbalah kabala kabbala kabbalah qabalah qabala+ | a mystical tradition of Jewish rabbis. |
| caneh kaneh | a Hebrew measure of 6 cubits. [Hebrew qaneh, reed]. |
| chalah chaleh challa challah hallah. | a kind of plaited bread eaten on the Sabbath. Plural forms: CHALLAS, CHALOT, CHALOTH, CHALLOT, CHALLOTH, HALLAHS, HALLOT, HALLOTH. |
| chalutz halutz | an early immigrant to Israel, who worked the first KIBBUTZIM. Pl. CHALUTZES or CHALUTZIM; HALUTZIM. |
| chametz+ chometz+ | leavened food not to be eaten during Passover. |
| chanukiah+ hanukiah+ | a candelabrum having nine branches lit during the festival of Hanukkah. |
| chazan chazzan chazen hazan hazzan khazen. | a cantor in a synagogue. Plural forms: CHAZANS, CHAZANIM, CHAZZENS, CHAZZENIM, HAZANS, HAZANIM, HAZZANS, HAZZANIM, KHAZENS, KHAZENIM. |
| cheder heder | a religious lesson, or the place where it is held. Pl. CHEDERS or CHADARIM; HEDERS or HADARIM. |
| cherub | in Christian theology, a member of the second order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, ranking directly below the SERAPHIM and above the thrones. Pl. CHERUBS or CHERUBIM. |
| chumash+ | a printed book containing one of the Five Books of Moses. |
| chuppah huppah | a wedding canopy. |
| cor | a Hebrew measure. |
| corban | anything offered to God in fulfilment of a vow. [Hebrew qorban, offering]. |
| dayan+ | a senior rabbi: DAYANS or DAYANIM. |
| dunam | a unit of land measure in Israel. |
| ebenezer | a memorial stone set up by Samuel after the victory of Mizpeh; a chapel or religious meeting place. [Hebrew eben-ha-ezedr, stone of help]. |
| epha ephah | a Hebrew dry measure of about 23 litres or 6 gals. |
| ephod | a sleeveless garment worn by priests in ancient Israel. |
| erev+ | the day before, the eve. |
| eruv+ | an area within which certain activities proscribed during the Sabbath are allowed: ERUVS, ERUVIM or ERUVIN. |
| galut galuth | the forced exile of Jews, the diaspora. |
| genizah | a room adjoining a synagogue used to store old or damaged books. Pl. GENIZAHS. |
| gerah | a Hebrew monetary weight or coin, equal to one twentieth of a SHEKEL. |
| habdalah havdalah havdoloh+ | the ritual by which the Sabbath or a festival is officially concluded. [Hebrew habhdalah, separation]. Pl. HABDALAHS; HAVDALAHS. |
| haftara haftarah haftorah haphtara | a biblical reading selection. Plural forms: HAFTARAS, HAFTAROT, HAFTAROTH, HAPHTARAS, HAPHTAROT, HAPHTAROTH, HAFTORAHS, HAFTOROT, HAFTOROTH. |
| hagadist haggadist | a scholar versed in the HAGGADAH, the Pesach guidebook, used during Seder. |
| haggada haggadah | the homiletic part of the Jewish scripture. Pl. HAGGADAS, HAGGADOT, HAGGADOTH; HAGGADAHS, HAGGADOT, HAGGADOTH. |
| hakam | a sage, a rabbinical commentator. [Hebrew hakham, wise]. |
| halacha halakah halakha halakhah+ | the legal component of the Jewish oral tradition. Plural forms: HALACHOT, HALACHAS, HALAKAHS, HALAKOTH, HALAKHAS, HALAKHOT; HALAKHAHS, HALAKHOTH |
| halakic | pertaining to the HALAKAH, the legal component of the Jewish oral tradition. |
| halakist | one versed in the HALAKAH, the legal component of the Jewish tradition. |
| hallel | a holiday prayer of thanks-giving Psalms. |
| halutz | see CHALUTZ. |
| hanukiah+ | see CHANUKIAH. |
| heder | see CHEDER. |
| hin | a Hebrew liquid measure, about four quarts. Pl. HINS. |
| hora horah | an Israeli dance. |
| hosanna hosannah | a shout of praise or adoration; (verb) to shout with praise and adoration. |
| ichabod | 'the glory is departed', expressing regret at former glories or higher standards. |
| kab | an ancient Hebrew unit of measure. |
| kaddish | a Jewish prayer recited daily and by mourners. Pl. KADDISHIM. |
| kahal | a Jewish community in Europe. [Hebrew kahal, congregation]. |
| kasher | to make kosher. [Hebrew kasher, fitness]. |
| kashrus kashrut kashruth | the laws relating to kosher food. |
| ketubah+ | a contract that states the obligations in Jewish marriages: KETUBAHS, KETUBOT or KETUBOTH. |
| kibbutz | in Israel, an agricultural settlement. Pl. KIBBUTZIM. |
| kiddush | a ceremony, usually performed before the evening meal (in Judaism, the new day commences at sundown) over a cup of wine, which ceremonially ushers in the Sabbath or a festival. [Hebrew qiddush, sanctification]. |
| kippa | a religious skullcap, aka YARMULKA. |
| knesset | a parliament esp. Israel's Parliament. [Hebrew knesset, gathering]. |
| kor | a Hebrew unit of measure. |
| kosher | permissible to eat under Jewish law; (verb) to make kosher. [Hebrew kasher, fitness]. |
| lechayim lehayim lechaim+ lehaim+ | a traditional Jewish toast. |
| lira | an Israeli unit of currency. Pl. LIROT or LIROTH. |
| luach+ | a Jewish calendar showing dates of festivals: LUCHOT or LUCHOTH. |
| machzor mahzor | a Hebrew holiday-ritual prayer book. Pl. MACHZORIM or MACHZORS; MAHZORIM or MAHZORS. |
| maftir | the concluding section of a PARASHAH, a passage in Jewish literature. |
| marah | in Biblical allusions, bitterness; something bitter. |
| maror | a dish of bitter herbs, esp. horseradish, eaten at the Jewish Passover. |
| mashgiach+ mashgiah+ | one who ensures adherence to kosher rules: MASHGICHIM, MASHGIHIM. |
| mechitza+ | a screen in a synagogue separating men and women: MECHITZAS or MECHITZOT. |
| megillah megilla+ | a scroll containing a book of the Old Testament, esp. the Book of Esther, to be read on certain feast days; any long tedious account. Pl. MEGILLAHS, MEGILLOTH; MEGILLAS. [Hebrew megillah, scroll or volume]. |
| melamed | a religious teacher, esp. a non-rabbi. Pl. MELAMDIM. |
| menorah | a candelabra, esp. for Chanukah. Pl. MENORAHS. |
| metapelet | a woman acting as a foster-mother to children on a kibbutz. Pl. METAPLOT. |
| mezuza mezuzah | a small rolled parchment affixed to the doorposts in Jewish houses containing the texts of the first two paragraphs of the Shema', in fulfilment of the Torah's command to inscribe God's words upon the doorposts of one's house. Pl. MEZUZAS; MEZUZAHS, MEZUZOT or MEZUZOTH. |
| midrash | the segment of the rabbinic oral tradition that interprets or expounds the Bible. [Literally: 'searching out']. Pl. MIDRASHIM, MIDRASHOTH. |
| mikvah mikveh | a place for ritual bathing by Orthodox Jews. Pl. MIKVAHS or MIKVOTH; MIKVEHS. |
| minyan | a quorum of 10 required for certain prayers. Pl. MINYANS or MINYANIM. |
| mitsvah mitzvah | a precept; a duty, an obligation; a good deed. Pl. MITSVAHS or MITSVOTH; MITZVAHS or MITZVOTH. |
| mohel | one who performs circumcisions. Pl. MOHELS, MOHELIM or MOHALIM. | moshav | a settlement like a kibbutz, but with more private property. Pl. MOSHAVIM. |
| moz mozz mozzle | bad luck; a jinx. [Hebrew mazzal, luck]. |
| nahal | in Israel, an agricultural settlement established and manned by soldiers. |
| nebel | a Hebrew instrument, apparently a harp. |
| omer | a Hebrew dry measure. |
| parashah | a passage in Jewish literature. Pl. PARASHOTH or PARASHIOTH. |
| pruta prutah | an Israeli monetary unit. Pl. PRUTOT; PRUTOTH. |
| purim | the Jewish Feast of Lots. |
| rabbi rabbin | a Jewish expounder or doctor of the law. Pl. RABBIS or RABBIES; RABBINS. |
| rabboni | my great master. |
| rehoboam | a large wine bottle containing 1.05 gallons. [From Rehoboam, King of Israel]. |
| sabbath | a day of rest. |
| sabra | a prickly-pear fruit; also, a native Israeli. |
| sandek+ | a man who holds a baby being circumcised. |
| seder | a Pesach ceremonial meal. Pl. SEDARIM. |
| sefer+ | any book of Hebrew religious literature. |
| seghol segol | a vowel-point in Hebrew. |
| selah | a musical instruction meaning a pause, to reflect upon that which came before or which follows, for a meditational attitude. |
| shabbatot+ | Jewish sabbaths. No singular. |
| shadchan schatchen+ shadkhan+ | a matchmaker. Pl. SHADCHANS or SHADCHANIM; SCHATCHENS; SHADKHANS. |
| shalom sholom | in Jewish society, used as a salutation at meeting or parting: peace. |
| shekel sheqel | an ancient unit of weight, about 11.4 gm. Pl. SHEKELS; SHEQALIM. |
| sheol | the Hebrew abode of the dead or departed spirits, conceived as a subterranean region clothed in thick darkness, return from which is impossible. |
| sheva | in Hebrew grammar, a point placed under a consonant to indicate absence of a vowel. |
| shibah shiva shivah | a period of seven days' mourning observed after a funeral. |
| shibboleth | a slogan, catchword; a custom or usage regarded as a criterion for distinguishing membership. [Hebrew shibboleth, an ear of corn, a stream]. |
| shittah | a Biblical tree, probably a species of acacia. |
| shittim | the wood of the SHITTAH tree, believed to be a species of acacia. |
| shiur+ | a scripture lesson: SHIURIM. |
| shochet | a slaughterer who slaughters in the kosher manner. Pl. SHOCHETIM. |
| shofar shophar | a ram's horn trumpet used in Jewish ceremonies. Pl. SHOFARS or SHOFROTH; SHOPHARS or SHOPHROTH |
| shiviti+ | a Jewish decorative plaque with a religious message. |
| siddur | a Jewish prayer book containing prayers and other information relevant to the daily liturgy. Pl. SIDDURIM or SIDDURS. |
| sopheric | relating to the SOPHERIM, Jewish scribes. |
| sopherim | the scribes, the expounders of Jewish oral law. |
| starr | a Jewish deed or bond, e.g. of acquittance of a debt. [Hebrew sh'tar, writing]. |
| succah sukkah | a hut or shelter roofed with branches, used by Jews as a temporary living accommodation during Sukkoth, the Festival of the Tabernacles. Pl. SUCCAHS, SUCCOT, SUCCOTH; SUKKAHS, SUKKOT, SUKKOTH. |
| succos sukkos | a Jewish festival of thanksgiving; cf. the preceding. |
| tallis tallit tallith | the traditional prayer shawl worn by Jewish men. Pl. TALLISIM; TALLITIM; TALLITHS, TALLITHES, TALLITHIM, TALLITOTH, TALEYSIM or TALAISIM. |
| talmud | the body of the Jewish civil and canonical law not comprised in the Pentateuch. [Hebrew 'instruction']. |
| talmudic | relating to the TALMUD. |
| tefillah tephillah | a Jewish phylactery, a small cubic leather box that contains a piece of parchment upon which are inscribed passages from the Torah. Pl. TEFILLIN, TEPHILLIN. |
| teraph | a holy image or household god revered and used for divination among the pre-exilic Hebrews. Pl. TERAPHIM. |
| terefa terefah | not ritually clean, not kosher. |
| tora torah torot | the entire body of Jewish law and learning, including sacred literature and oral tradition; scrolls of parchment containing the Pentateuch used during services. |
| tsaddik tsaddiq tzaddik tzaddiq zaddick zaddik | in Judaism, a Hasidic leader, or person of extraordinary piety. Pl. forms TSADDIKS or TSADDIKIM, TSADDIQS or TSADDIQIM, TZADDIKS or TZADDIKIM, TZADDIQS or TZADDIQIM, ZADDIKS or ZADDIKIM |
| tzitzis tzitzit tzitzith zizit zizith tsitsith+ | |
| ulpan | a Hebrew-language course, esp. in Israel. Pl. ULPANIM. |
| yad+ | a hand-held pointer used for reading the Torah: YADS. |
| yeshiva yeshivah | a school for the study of the Jewish scripture, the Talmud. Pl. YESHIVAS, YESHIVOT, YESHIVOTH; YESHIVAHS, YESHIVOT, YESHIVOTH. |
| yom | day, as in Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. Pl. YOMIM. |