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< Q19.2 | TOC | Q19.4 > |
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]
Kadosh L'cha
Qadosh = holy; Lekha = to you, or perhaps "to
You" [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]
Well, do you want the egg roll or the knish?
Hey! Stop throwing paper airplanes in class.
My experimental tofu-liver-garlic cholent tastes good, eh?
So, Becca, I hear you and Izzy went out last week. Well?
A rebuke (on small kids): "Nu, nu, nu, you spiled all the milk!
To express doubt: "I heard that Rabin met Asad. Nu."
When the news ain't new no more: (see #7; the change is in the tone of the "nu").
As "come on": NU BEMET.
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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Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>