| Aḥaronim |
halakhic authorities from c. 1500 CE until the present day |
| aliya (pl. aliyot) |
the calling of a congregant up to the Torah scroll as a section of it is read aloud |
| alot ha-shaḥar |
dawn |
| ama (pl. amot) |
a cubit; a standard halakhic measure of distance equaling c. 45 cm and approximating the distance from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow of the average adult male |
| Amida |
“The Standing Prayer”; also called the Shemoneh Esrei; the central prayer of each service, in which the worshiper stands as though in God’s presence |
| Amora’im |
sages of the Gemara (c. 200-500 CE) |
| Ashkenaz |
a geographical region in the German Rhineland where the traditions that eventually became characteristic of European (Ashkenazic) Jewry coalesced in the Middle Ages |
| Ata Ḥonantanu |
prayer added to the Amida of Ma’ariv of Motza’ei Shabbat that serves as a form of havdala |
| be-di’avad |
a level of performance that ex post facto satisfies an obligation in a less-than-ideal manner |
| bein ha-shmashot |
the time between sunset and the emergence of stars, when it is not clear whether it is night or day |
| beit din (pl. batei din) |
rabbinical court |
| beit knesset |
synagogue |
| beit midrash (pl. batei midrash) |
Torah study hall |
| beraita |
a tannaitic statement not included in the Mishna |
| berakha |
a formal blessing recited before eating or performing a mitzva, and on other occasions |
| berakha aḥarona |
a blessing recited after eating or drinking |
| Birkat Ha-mazon |
known as the “grace after meals”; the berakha aḥarona consisting of four berakhot recited after a bread-based meal |
| Birkat Kohanim |
the three verses (Bamidbar 6:23-25) by which the Kohanim channel God’s blessing to the Jewish people |
| Birkhot Ha-shaḥar |
a series of berakhot recited each morning, praising God for meeting our most basic needs |
| Birkhot Ha-Torah |
the blessings recited prior to the first Torah study of the morning and upon being called up to the Torah |
| Bishul |
the melakha of cooking |
| Boneh |
the melakha of building |
| Boneh Yerushalayim |
the third berakha of Birkat Ha-mazon, whose theme is the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple; also known as “Raḥem” |
| Borer |
the melakha of separating |
| brit (mila) |
the ritual circumcision (mila) performed on the eighth day of a Jewish boy’s life, when he enters into Israel’s covenant (brit) with God |
| Dash |
the melakha of threshing |
| davar ha-aved |
something will result in a loss if not acted on quickly |
| davar she-eino mitkaven |
an intentional action on Shabbat or Yom Tov that results (though not inevitably; see psik reisha) in unintended desecration |
| derekh akhila |
the normal way to eat; the halakha is often lenient when one performs a melakha in this way |
| divrei kabbala |
commandments ordained by the prophets; an intermediate category between Torah law and rabbinic law |
| drasha (pl. derashot) |
a communal sermon or homily given on Shabbat or Yom Tov, usually delivered by the rabbi to his congregation and dealing with halakhic and theological matters |
| Elokai Neshama |
one of the morning blessings, thanking God for restoring the soul to the body after slumber
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| Eretz Yisrael |
the Land of Israel |
| erev |
“the eve of”; the day before (Shabbat, Yom Tov, etc.) |
| eruv ḥatzerot |
a physical boundary that can transform a reshut ha-rabim into a reshut ha-yaḥid, allowing people to carry items within that area on Shabbat, as well as to carry items from another domain into that area, and vice versa; alternatively, the communal food that is set aside to join all homes and yards within the area, allowing it to be considered one reshut ha-yaḥid |
| eruv tavshilin |
a mechanism through which one can prepare food for Shabbat on Yom Tov when the latter coincides with Friday |
| eruv teḥumin |
a means of establishing one’s teḥum Shabbat before Shabbat begins, so that it includes a desired location that was previously beyond his teḥum; alternatively, the food that can be set aside at the place where one wants to establish his mekom shevita for this purpose |
| Ge’onim (sing. Gaon) |
the leaders of the Babylonian yeshivot and authoritative interpreters of the Bavli during the latter part of the first millennium CE |
| Gemara |
the part of the Talmud that interprets and expands upon the Mishna; compiled during the third-sixth centuries CE |
| Gozez |
the melakha of shearing |
| haftara |
a selection from the books of Nevi’im (Prophets) that is publicly read in synagogues on Shabbat, festivals, and fast days |
| Ha-gafen |
the berakha recited over wine and grape juice |
| hagala |
immersion in boiling water to purge a vessel from substances it has absorbed |
| halakha (pl. halakhot) |
the collective body of Jewish law; an individual Jewish law |
| ḥalla |
the mitzva to give a part of a large batch of dough to a Kohen |
| Hallel |
chapters 113-118 of Tehilim, all of which are thanksgiving psalms, recited on Jewish holidays |
| Ha-ma’avir Sheina |
the last of the morning blessings, thanking God for removing slumber
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| Ha-mavdil Bein Kodesh Le-ḥol or Le-kodesh |
the main berakha of havdala, commemorating the end of Shabbat or Yom Tov and the distinction between the sacred and the profane (“le-kodesh” is used when Shabbat leads into Yom Tov) |
| ḥametz |
cereal grain that leavened, forbidden on Pesaḥ |
| ha-motzi |
the berakha over bread |
| Ha-tov Ve-hametiv |
“Who is good and bestows good”; a special berakha recited when something very fortunate happens; also refers to the fourth and final berakha of Birkat Ha-mazon |
| havdala |
the series of berakhot that marks the end of Shabbat and festivals |
| ḥazan |
the person leading the congregation in prayer |
| Ḥazarat Ha-shatz |
the ḥazan‘s repetition of the Amida aloud |
| ḥinukh |
education, training |
| Ḥol Ha-mo’ed |
the intermediate days of Sukkot and Pesaḥ, on which certain weekday activities are permitted |
| Hotza’ah |
the melakha of carrying from one domain to another |
| Ḥovel |
wounding or causing a loss of blood; a tolada of Shoḥet |
| ḥutz la-aretz |
countries outside of Eretz Yisrael |
| Kabbala |
the Jewish esoteric and mystical tradition |
| Kaddish |
a hymn of praises to God whose central theme is the magnification and sanctification of God’s name |
| karet |
extirpation or excision, the most severe biblical punishment |
| karmelit |
a domain where carrying on Shabbat is rabbinically forbidden |
| kebeitza |
an egg’s bulk; a standard halakhic measure of volume or weight, equivalent to 55 cc (according to R. Ḥayim Naeh) |
| Kedusha |
a responsive prayer of three verses recited in the third berakha of Ḥazarat Ha-shatz, praising God as the ministering angels do and therefore requiring a minyan |
| kevod ha-met |
dignified treatment of the dead |
| kezayit (pl. kezeytim) |
an olive’s bulk, a standard halakhic measure of volume or weight |
| kiddush |
the invocation of the sanctity of a holy day with blessings over a cup of wine |
| kli (pl. kelim) |
a vessel, container, implement, or utensil |
| kli she-melakhto le-isur |
an object whose primary function is prohibited, and which thus may only be moved on Shabbat for a permissible activity or to use the space the object is occupying |
| Kohen (pl. Kohanim) |
a Jewish priest, descendant of Aaron, charged with performing the Temple rites and benefiting from certain privileges |
| korban (pl. korbanot) |
a sacrificial offering |
| korban Pesaḥ |
the Paschal offering |
| Korbanot |
the part of the prayer service in which paragraphs about the Temple korbanot are recited |
| leḥem mishneh |
the two whole loaves of bread/matza over which the berakha of ha-motzi is recited at Shabbat and Yom Tov meals |
| le-khatḥila |
ab initio; a level of performance that satisfies an obligation in an ideal manner |
| libun |
heating a vessel by fire to the point that absorbed taste is incinerated |
| lulav |
a closed palm frond, one of the four species used during the holiday of Sukkot |
| Ma’ariv |
evening prayers |
| ma’aser |
any of several tithes that must be allocated |
| ma’aser behema |
tithe of animals in one’s flock |
| ma’aser sheni |
the second tithe, which must be eaten or redeemed for money to be spent on food in Jerusalem |
| maftir |
the person who reads the haftara, or at least recites the blessing on the haftara; alternatively, the aliya following the seven mandated aliyot that is given to the person who will read the haftara |
| makhshirei okhel nefesh |
utensils and implements used in the preparation and service of food |
| marbeh be-shi’urim |
“increase quantities”; the principle that one may increase the quantity of food being cooked on Yom Tov, even for the purpose of having leftovers, because it requires no extra effort |
| Matan Torah |
the giving of the Torah by God to Moshe at Mount Sinai |
| matza |
unleavened bread eaten by Jews on Pesaḥ |
| Mav’ir |
the melakha of lighting a fire |
| Mefarek |
extracting; a tolada of Dash that involves removing one thing from another thing |
| megilla (pl. megillot) |
a “scroll”; the five books of Ketuvim that are read on holidays and festivals |
| Meḥatekh |
the melakha of cutting |
| Mekhabeh |
the melakha of extinguishing a fire |
| mekom shevita |
lit. “resting place”; the place where one is spending Shabbat, which acts as the center of one’s teĥum Shabbat |
| melakha (pl. melakhot) |
productive work of the type prohibited on Shabbat and Yom Tov |
| melakha she-eina tzerikha le-gufah |
a melakha that is done intentionally, but not for the sake of the object upon which it is performed |
| melekhet avoda |
melakha that is related to general labor (as opposed to melakha done in food preparation, melekhet okhel nefesh) |
| Memaḥek |
the melakha of smoothing |
| Memare’aḥ |
spreading a substance evenly upon an object; a tolada of Memaḥek |
| mezuza |
the doorpost, or the parchment inscribed with specific paragraphs from the Torah that must be affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes |
| mikveh |
a ritual immersion pool |
| Minḥa |
the afternoon prayers |
| Minḥa ketana |
2.5 seasonal hours before sunset |
| minyan |
a quorum of ten adult Jewish males required for certain religious obligations |
| Mishna |
the earliest authoritative work of rabbinic literature consisting of legal statements and disputes arranged in 63 tractates and 6 orders, compiled in the third century CE |
| mitzva (pl. mitzvot) |
commandment, precept |
| Moḥek |
the melakha of erasing |
| molad |
the moment of “birth” of the new moon, when it begins waxing once again |
| Molid |
creating a new entity on Shabbat or Yom Tov |
| Motza’ei Shabbat |
Saturday night after Shabbat ends and weekday activities are resumed |
| muktzeh |
the prohibition on Shabbat on moving any item that has no purpose on Shabbat |
| muktzeh meḥamat gufo |
muktzeh as a result of itself; items that have no use on Shabbat inherently |
| muktzeh meḥamat ḥesron kis |
muktzeh as a result of monetary loss; items that have no use on Shabbat or Yom Tov because they are valuable and one does not want them to break or become ruined |
| Musaf |
the additional service recited on Shabbat, Yom Tov, Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, and Rosh Ḥodesh, days on which the korban musaf was offered in Temple times |
| nasi (pl. nesi’im) |
tribal princes of Israel; a generic term for a leader |
| neshama yeteira |
lit. “expanded soul”; the special connection between a Jew and God on Shabbat |
| netilat yadayim |
ritual hand washing |
| Nisan |
the first month of the Jewish year |
| Nishmat |
prayer of wondrous praise added on Shabbat and Yom Tov to the end of Pesukei De-zimra |
| Ofeh |
the melakha of cooking/baking |
| okhel nefesh |
lit. “food of life”; food prepared on Yom Tov for the needs of that day |
| olat re’iya |
a burnt offering sacrificed in honor of one of the three pilgrimage festivals |
| omer |
a biblical measure of grain and an offering brought in the Temple on the second day of Pesaḥ; the count from that day until Shavu’ot is known as the counting of the omer, or Sefirat Ha-omer |
| oneg Shabbat |
the mitzva to make Shabbat a delight by experiencing pleasure and avoiding discomfort and suffering |
| parsha (pl. parshiyot) |
a passage from the Torah; the weekly Torah portion that is read at the synagogue each Shabbat |
| Pesaḥ |
Passover; the Jewish springtime holiday that celebrates Israel’s liberation from Egyptian bondage |
| Pesukei De-zimra |
the psalms of praise recited prior to Shaḥarit which prepare one for the Amida |
| pidyon ha-ben |
a mitzva in which a Jewish firstborn son is redeemed from a Kohen with five silver coins |
| posek (pl. poskim) |
a halakhic decisor or authority |
| psik reisha |
an intentional action on Shabbat or Yom Tov that inevitably results in unintended desecration |
| psik reisha de-lo niḥa lei |
an intentional action on Shabbat or Yom Tov resulting in unintended desecration that, while inevitable, is undesired |
| psolet |
lit. “waste matter”; in the context of the melakha of Borer, the undesired part of a mixture |
| Raḥem |
“Have compassion”; the third berakha of Birkat Ha-mazon, also known as Boneh Yerushalayim |
| reshut |
domain, for the purposes of the laws of Hotza’ah on Shabbat and Yom Tov |
| reshut ha-rabim |
public domain |
| reshut ha-yaḥid |
private domain |
| Responsa |
a genre of rabbinic literature that consists of rabbinic responses to halakhic queries |
| Retzei (Ve-haḥalitzenu) |
the passage that is inserted into Birkat Ha-mazon on Shabbat during the third berakha |
| revi’it |
a liquid measure equal to a quarter of a log, calculated by most to be c. 75 ml |
| Rishonim |
Jewish sages and halakhic authorities from the medieval era (roughly 1000-1500 CE) |
| Rosh Ḥodesh |
the new moon; the one- or two-day minor holiday that marks the beginning of each Hebrew month |
| se’ah |
a unit of volume; 40 se’ah is equivalent to one ama by one ama by three amot |
| se’uda shlishit |
the obligatory third Shabbat meal |
| se’udat mitzva |
a festive meal celebrating the fulfillment of a mitzva |
| Seder |
the banquet on the first night of Pesaḥ that includes several special recitations, customs, and mitzvot |
| Sefirat Ha-omer |
the mitzva of counting the days from the second day of Pesaḥ until Shavu’ot |
| Seḥita |
squeezing or wringing; a tolada of Dash |
| semikha |
the authority to adjudicate Torah law, conferred in an unbroken chain from Moshe; nowadays, in the absence of the original semikha, it refers to rabbinical ordination generally |
| Shabbatot |
plural of Shabbat |
| Shaḥarit |
the morning prayers |
| shalmei ḥagiga |
peace offerings sacrificed at each of the three pilgrimage festivals |
| shalmei simḥa |
peace offerings sacrificed for the purpose of increasing festival joy |
| She-heḥeyanu |
“Who has given us life”; a berakha recited at specific significant occasions |
| Shekhina |
the Divine Presence in this world |
| Shema |
the three Torah paragraphs (or the first of the three paragraphs) whose recitation is a centerpiece of the morning and evening prayers; its opening verse is the Jewish credo: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” |
| Sheva Berakhot |
the seven blessings recited at a wedding ceremony and at the conclusion of a meal held in honor of the bride and groom during their first week of marriage |
| shevita |
cessation of work; the most basic expression of the nature of Shabbat |
| shi’ur |
a standard halakhic measurement for weight, distance, or volume |
| shinui |
performing a melakha on Shabbat or Yom Tov in an irregular manner |
| shiva |
the weeklong mourning period for close relatives, during which visitors bring solace and comfort to the homebound mourners |
| shki’a |
shorthand for shki’at ha-ḥama |
| shki’at ha-ḥama |
sunset, when Shabbat and Jewish holidays begin |
| shofar |
a musical instrument made of a horn, traditionally that of a ram, blown as part of the Rosh Ha-shana ritual as well as other rituals |
| shvut |
rabbinic prohibition on Shabbat or Yom Tov |
| shvut di-shvut |
double rabbinic prohibition, which may be transgressed in certain circumstances |
| siddur |
a Jewish prayer book |
| simḥa |
joy, a mitzva to experience on Yom Tov and possibly on Shabbat as well; compare to oneg |
| sukka (pl. sukkot) |
a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong festival of Sukkot |
| Taḥanun |
“Supplication”; the heartbreaking prayers recited after the Amida of Shaḥarit and Minḥa, omitted on festive occasions |
| talit |
the four-cornered prayer shawl, fringed by tzitzit, traditionally worn by Jewish men during prayer |
| talit katan |
a four-cornered garment, fringed by tzitzit, traditionally worn by Jewish males under (and, among some groups, over) their clothing |
| Tanna (pl. Tanna’im) |
a rabbinic authority in Eretz Yisrael during the early centuries of the Common Era |
| tefaḥ (pl. tefaḥim) |
a handbreadth; a halakhic measurement equal to c. 8 cm |
| tefilin |
phylacteries; black leather boxes and straps containing parchment scrolls, worn during weekday morning prayers |
| teḥum (Shabbat) |
boundary surrounding one’s mekom shevita, beyond which one may not travel on Shabbat |
| teruma (pl. terumot) |
a tithe of c. 2% of produce, given to Kohanim |
| Toḥen |
the melakha of grinding or pulverizing, such as the grinding of wheat to make flour |
| tolada (pl. toladot) |
a derivative of the major melakhot on Shabbat, like juicing (Soḥet) is a derivative of Dash (threshing) |
| tosefet |
the time added before and/or after Shabbat or Yom Tov to fulfill the mitzva of extending the holy days into the week |
| tzeit |
shorthand for tzeit ha-kokhavim |
| tzeit ha-kokhavim |
the appearance of three distinct stars, marking nightfall for various halakhic purposes |
| tzitzit |
the specially tied fringes worn on the corners of four-cornered garments; often used interchangeably with the term “talit katan” |
| uvdin de-ḥol |
weekday activities, generally prohibited on Shabbat and Yom Tov |
| Ya’aleh Ve-yavo |
the paragraph inserted into the Amida and Birkat Ha-mazon of festivals on which Musaf is recited |
| yad soledet bo |
hot enough to cause the hand to recoil, somewhere between 45ºC and 71ºC |
| yeshiva (pl. yeshivot) |
a school that is dedicated to Torah study; its students often live in dormitories |
| Yom Kippur |
the “Day of Atonement”; the fast day that is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year |
| Yom Tov |
the festivals of biblical origin during which melakha is prohibited |
| Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyot |
the extra day of Yom Tov observed in the Diaspora |
