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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Miscellaneous and References (11/12) Previous Document: Question 19.2: Why is "shabbat" spelled sometimes shabbath, shabbath, shabbos, shabbes? Next Document: Question 19.4: What do all those abbreviations like Z"L mean? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Answer:
Most people are careful to translate their Hebrew and Yiddish, but a
few are common enough that people don't bother. Credit goes to
Meredith Warshaw for compiling much of the list below. [H] indicates
Hebrew, [Y] indicates Yiddish.
* Agunah (literal translation: chained).
A woman who cannot remarry; usually because her husband refuses to
give her a get (divorce), because there is no way to verify
whether or not he is dead, or because he is incompetent to give a
divorce (i.e., mentally ill). [H]
* Assur
Something prohibited. [H]
* Averah (aveira)
Sin, transgression of G-d's will [H]
* Baal Tefillah
Prayer leader [H]
* Ba'al Teshuvah (literal translation: master of return)
A penitent; a Jew who returns to a traditional observant Jewish
lifestyle (also known by the acronym BT) [H]
* B'chor
Firstborn status [H]
* Bamidbar (literal translation: in the desert)
Numbers (4th book of the Torah) [H]
* Bet Din
Court of Jewish law [H]
* Bikkur Cholim
Visiting the ill or hospitalized [H]
* Bracha (pl. brachot)
Blessing [H]
* B'reshit (literal translation: in the beginning)
Genesis (1st book of the Torah) [H]
* B'rit milah
Covenant of circumcision [H]
* B'shaah tova
Congratulations to an expectent mother (literarily "in a good
hour," means "at an auspicious time," i.e. may whatever time your
child is born be a good time.") Also the correct response to
announcement of a marriage engagement. In both cases, it is in
anticipation of a "mazel tov" for something hoped for, that has
not yet occurred. [H]
* Chag sameach
A happy holiday (used as a greeting) [H]
* Chayav
One who is obligated (chiyuv=obligation) [H]
* Chazzan (hazzan)
Cantor [H]
* Cherem
Excommunication (from cessation of aid, boycott) [H]
* Cheshbon Hanefesh (Literal translation: accounting of the soul)
Self-examination of your actions' merit, or accounting of your
soul's good and bad aspects. [H]
* Chevra
Friends; comrades [H]
* Chevra Kadisha (Literal translation: holy society)
The group that prepares a body for burial. [H]
* Chillul Hashem
Desecration of the divine name [H]
* Chok (pl. chukim)
Law from the Torah deemed to be without a humanly-discernable
rationale, e.g., the red heifer. [H]
* Chometz (chametz, hametz)
Leavened food, which is forbidden during Pesach [H]
* Chumash
The five books of the Torah, bound in one volume (not a scroll)
[H]
* Chumra
Stringency -- custom of a community to observe more strictly [H]
* "Dati/lo dati"
Dati = religious, lo dati=not religious, as used in current Hebrew
in Israel, but it is a black and white distinction, meaning
Orthodox and not Orthodox. [H]
* Daven
Pray (from Yiddish, with a particular emotional sense) [H]
* Derech Eretz
Respectful, menschlich, considerate of others [H]
* Din
Law, judgment [H]
* Drasha
Interpretation of a Torah passage (often a creative
interpretation) (from a root meaning "search") [H]
* Dukhn
Perform the kohen's blessing before the congregation [H]
* D'var torah (pl. divrei torah) (Literal translation: word of
Torah)
A Torah discourse, homily or sermon [H]
* D'varim (Literal translation: words, things)
5th book of the Torah (Deuteronomy) [H]
* Emet
Truth [H]
* Emunah
Faith [H]
* Frum
Observant (often with a right-wing Orthodox implication). Derived
from the German/Yiddish word for "pious". [Y]
* Gemara (Literal translation: learning, from the Aramaic)
The later part of the Talmud, which expands upon the Mishna [H]
* Get (pl. gittin)
Document of divorce [H]
* G'milut Chasadim
Acts of loving kindess [H]
* Hachamim (chachamim)
Sages [H]
* Haftarah
The selection from the book of prophets read after the Torah
reading. [H]
* Halacha (Literal translation: path)
Jewish law [H]
* Halbanat Panim (literal translation: whitening the face)
Causing someone to blanch by public embarrassment [H]
* Hashgacha
Ritual supervision, most often used in terms of kashrut/dietary
laws, although it can also refer to spiritual or moral supervision
as in a yeshiva or dormitory [H]
* Heksher
Kosher certification [H]
* Hesed (chessed)
Kindness [H]
* Heter
Permission (usually a rabbinic ruling that permits something) [H]
* Hiddur Mitzvah
Beautifying physical objects involved in a mitzvah, or otherwise
adding to a mitzvah an esthetic sense [H]
* Kabbalat ol Mitzvot (literal translation: acceptance of the yoke
of the commandments)
Acceptance of commandments as binding [H]
* Kabbalat Shabbat
Service welcoming the Sabbath [H]
* Kavanah
Intention, devotion, inner concentration during prayer [H]
* Kevah
Fixed; a fixed time; fixed words or prayer (often contrasted with
kavanah, inner concertration during prayer) [H]
* Kiddush Hashem
Sanctification of the divine name; martyrdom [H]
* Kiddushin
Betrothal (for the purpose of marriage) [H]
* Klal
A general principle [H]
* Klal Yisrael
The Jewish community as a whole [H]
* Koach
Strength [H]
* Kohelet
The book of Ecclesiastes [H]
* Kol Hakavod (literal translation: all honor)
Used idiomatically to express praise or congratulations for an
achievement [H]
* Kol Isha
The voice of a women (considered by the Rabbis of the Talmud to be
distracting to men and thus lewd). [H]
* Kol Tuv
Everything good (may you be blessed with everything good) [H]
* Kulot
Leniencies [H]
* K'vod Hatzibur
The honor of the community [H]
* L'shon Hara (Literal translation: "evil tongue")
Defaming or badmouthing [H]
* Leyn
To read (usually to read Torah) [Y]
* Maariv
Evening; the evening prayer service [H]
* Machmeer
Stringent; one who observes a chumrah (stringency) [H]
* Maftir
The aliyah consisting of the last few lines of the Torah reading,
or the person assigned that aliyah. The person assigned the maftir
aliyah also chants Haftarah. [H]
* Mamzer
A person born from a prohibited union (i.e., from an incestuous or
adulterous union) [H]
* Mara d'atra (literal translation: master of the place)
The local rabbi, whose decision carries the force of law in that
locality [Aramaic]
* Mashgichim
Ritual supervisers of kashrut who watch/supervise on the premises
for dietary supervision of ingedients, food preparation, serving,
dishes and cutlery, etc. [H]
* Mashiach (Moshiach)
Messiah [H]
* Mechitsa
Division; a barrier separating men from women in the synagogue [H]
* Midrash
An interpretation; a story that fills in gaps in the Torah
narrative, or answers questions about the narrative; (when
capitalized) any of several volumes of such stories compiled by
rabbis of the Talmudic era [H]
* Mincha
The afternoon prayer service [H]
* Minhag
Custom [H]
* Minhag ha-makom
Local custom [H]
* Minyan
Quorum of 10 needed for a public prayer service. In traditional
synagogues, only men over the age of 13 are counted towards a
minyan. Liberal (non-orthodox) congregations also include women
over 12 in the count. [H]
* Mishna (Capitalized)
The early core of the Talmud, consisting primarily of case law
decisions. (Not capitalized) one unit, typically a single sentence
or short paragraph, in the Mishna. [H]
* Mishpat (pl. mishpatim)
Law from the Torah that can be rationalized [H]
* Mitzvah
Commandment; not "good deed" in Hebrew, but has come to mean that
in Yiddish, especially among more secular people [H]
* Mutar
Permitted [H]
* Ner tamid
Eternal light [H]
* Nigun (pl. nigunim)
Wordless prayer melody, usually repeated many times over to create
a spiritual mood [H]
* "Nu?"
This is an exclamation used in the same sense as "well" "eh" and
"hey." [Y] It could be used in the Hebrew/Yiddish translation of
any of the following:
1. Well, do you want the egg roll or the knish?
2. Hey! Stop throwing paper airplanes in class.
3. My experimental tofu-liver-garlic cholent tastes good, eh?
4. So, Becca, I hear you and Izzy went out last week. Well?
5. A rebuke (on small kids): "Nu, nu, nu, you spiled all the
milk!
6. To express doubt: "I heard that Rabin met Asad. Nu."
7. When the news ain't new no more: (see #7; the change is in
the tone of the "nu").
8. As "come on": NU BEMET.
9. When one can't talk (i.e. in the middle of Shmone-Esre, after
Netila before Hamotzi, etc.)
* Olam ha-ba
The world to come [H]
* Parsha (N)
The weekly Torah portion (pl. parshiot) [H]
* Patur
Something or someone who is exempt (from an obligation or a law)
[H]
* Pikuah Nefesh
To save a life (usually in context of breaking Shabbat, etc.) [H]
* Posek (pl. poskim) (N)
The rabbi one consults for halachic decisions; an authority on
Jewish Law [H]
* Posken (V)
To render an halachic ruling, usually one that clarifies the law
in a specific case [H]
* Psak (N)
Decision, verdict [H]
* R'chilut
Gossip [H]
* Ribono shel Olam
Master of the universe [H]
* Rosh Chodesh
First day of the new Jewish month [H]
* Ruach
Spirit, wind [H]
* Sedra
The weekly Torah portion [H]
* Shachrit
Morning; the morning prayer service [H]
* Shaliach
Emmisary, appointed agent (male pl. sh'lichim, sh'lichei; fem.
sing. sh'lichah; fem. pl. sh'lichot) [H]
* Shaliach Tzibur
The person leading services [H]
* Sh'lom bayit
Peace in the home [H]
* Shekhinah (Literal translation: that which dwells)
G-d's presence (often associated with feminine imagery, but not
always) [H]
* Shir Ha Shirim
Song of Songs [H]
* Sh'mot (Literal translation: names)
The 2nd book of the Torah (Exodus) [H]
* Shomer (pl. shomrim)
Watchman, guardian [H]
* Shomer shabbat
Observant of the laws of Shabbat [H]
* Shoresh
Root of a word (all hebrew verbs have a 3-4 letter root that is
the basis of conjugation. many other parts of speach (adj, nouns)
are also derived from this same shoresh) [H]
* Shtiebel
A small synagogue [Y]
* Sinat chinam
Gratuitous hatred [H]
* Taharah (pl. taharot)
Ritual purity [H]
* Takkanah (N)
Correction; a rabbinic edict that supersedes the existing halachah
(pl. takkanot) [H]
* Tanach
Acronym for Torah Nevi'im K'tuvim - Torah, Prophets, Writings)
The three divisions of the Hebrew Bible [H]
* Tana'im
Sages of the Mishnaic period [H]
* Tefila
Prayer [H]
* Teshuva
Return, repentance [H]
* T'hillim
Psalms [H]
* Tikkun Olam
Correcting the world, repairing the world; an action promoting
social justice [H]
* Torah misinai
(Definition: lit, Torah from Mount Sinai)
Refers to the doctrine that the entire Torah, including the Oral
Law, was given to Moses at Sinai. [H]
* Tsniut
Modesty [H]
* Tzedakah
Righteousness; used for charitable donations, though the root has
a very different sense from the root of "charity." [H]
* Vayikrah (Literal translation: "and He called")
3rd book of the Torah (Leviticus) [H]
* Yahrzeit (literal translation: year-time)
Anniversary of a death; a 24-hour candle lit to commemorate the
death anniversary of a close relative, also lit on holy days when
Yizkor (prayer of remembrance) is recited [Y]
* Yasher koach (Literal translation: meaning unclear, but poss.
"straight strength")
Used idiomatically to express praise or thanks for serving in a
religious or ceremonial role. Implies "may your stength continue,
go on straight", i.e. "You done good! Do it many times more!" [H]
* Yotzei (Literal translation: gone out)
One who has properly fulfilled an obligation [H]
NOTE on spelling/transliteration: Some people transliterate the letter
"het" as "ch," and others as "h." (Better would be "h" with a dot
under it, but that's not possible in email. This also ignores the
linguists, who prefer "x.") Thus: "hag/chag sameah/sameach," "bikkur
holim/cholim," etc. All the terms beginning with "ch" on the list are
"het" words.
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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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