Glossary

Being called up to recite the blessings over the public Torah reading. Also refers to immigrating to the Land of Israel …

A blessing recited before benefiting from food, performing a mitzvah, or witnessing certain phenomena. The standard form…

Leavened food made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, oats, rye, spelt). Forbidden to own or eat during Pesach.…

To pray, especially the daily prayers (Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv). Yiddish-origin term used widely in Ashkenazi communit…

A citron fruit, one of the four species (arba minim) waved on Sukkot. Must be unblemished, with intact pitom, to be kosh…

Jewish law. The corpus of binding rulings derived from Tanakh, Talmud, and the codes (Mishneh Torah, Shulchan Aruch). 'H…

Strengthening or encouragement, especially in faith and spiritual practice. A short Torah quote or thought intended to i…

Inner intention or concentration, especially during prayer or mitzvah performance. Without kavanah, even technically cor…

Fit for use according to halacha. Most commonly applied to food (kashrut), but also to ritual objects: tefillin, mezuzah…

A pool of natural water used for ritual immersion (tevila). Required after niddah, before conversion, and as a custom fo…

A commandment from G-d. Tradition counts 613 mitzvot in the Torah (taryag mitzvot): 248 positive, 365 prohibitive.…

Jewish ethical literature and the 19th-century movement (founded by R. Yisrael Salanter) focused on character refinement…

Liturgical rite/version of prayer. Main nuschaot: Ashkenaz, Sephard (Chassidic), Edot Hamizrach (Sephardi), Yemenite (Ba…

The weekly Torah portion. The Five Books are divided into 54 parshiyot read in synagogue across the year, finishing on S…

A verse of Tanakh. The minimum unit of biblical text, demarcated by the cantillation marks sof pasuk.…

The seventh day, from sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday. 39 categories of melacha (creative labor) are forbidden; meal…

The central declaration of Jewish faith: 'Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One' (Devarim 6:4). Recited mornin…

A temporary hut roofed with schach (cut vegetation), in which Jews dwell during the seven days of Sukkot. Recalls the Cl…

The corpus of rabbinic discussion of the Mishna. Two recensions: Talmud Bavli (Babylonian, c. 500 CE) and Yerushalmi (La…

Two leather boxes containing four Torah passages, worn on the arm and head during weekday morning prayer by men aged 13+…

The Book of Psalms — 150 chapters traditionally attributed to King David. Recited daily by many, and especially in times…

Narrowly, the Five Books of Moses (Chumash). Broadly, the entire body of Jewish teaching — Written Torah (Tanakh) and Or…

Charitable giving — literally 'righteousness'. Halacha requires 10% of net income (ma'aser kesafim); 20% is generous, mo…

Knotted ritual fringes attached to the four corners of a four-cornered garment (tallit, tallit katan). Mitzvah of Bamidb…

The 'evil inclination' — the inner drive toward selfishness, transgression, and physical excess. Counter-balanced by the…

Halachic times throughout the day: alot hashachar, sunrise, sof zman shma, chatzot, mincha gedola, sunset, tzeit hakocha…