Transliterated Hebrew uses our alphabet and typical phonics
to provide Hebrew pronunciation to non-Hebrew reading people.
Abba
An affectionate way to say father
dear father or daddy
Acharit HaYamim
The end of the days
The end times when the Olam Hazeh
comes to a close and the Olam Haba
is about to begin.
Adam
The first man
generically "man" or "human"
Adar
Sixth month of Hebrew civil calendar: February-March.
Adonai
My Lord, Lord of all
Spoken by Jewish people instead of God's personal name YHVH ("Jehovah
or Yahweh").
Adonai EloheiTzva'ot
Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Eloheinu
Lord our God
Adonai Elohim
The Lord God
Afikoman(al. Afikomen)
Half of the central matzah broken off and put away at the beginning of
the meal
Greek word meaning that which comes after or "dessert".
It is represented in a broken piece of matzah wrapped in linen and buried
(hidden).
This piece of the ceremonial matzah is the final thing eaten at the Passover
seder meal.
Aggadah(al. Agada, Agadah) pl. Agadot
Stories
Parables
Alef
The first letter of the Hebrew Alef-Beyt (alphabet)
Al Netilat Yadayim
The blessing over the washing of hands before the meal.
Aliyah pl. Aliyot
Literally: going up.
To "have an aliyah" refers to the honor of being called up to the bimah
to recite or chant the blessings over the Torah.
To "make aliyah" or "go on aliyah" means to immigrate to Israel.
Amen
It is true, so be it, may it become true.
Amidah
Standing prayer, quietly murmured, that is part of each daily service
in the synagogue, alternatively called the Tefillah or the Shemoneh
Esre.
Apocrypha
A Greek adjective in the neuter plural (from apokruphos, “hidden, concealed”)
denotes strictly “things concealed.”
Old Testament Apocrypha, specifically the fourteen books written after
the Old Testament canon was closed and which, being the least remote from
the canonical books, laid strongest claim to canonicity.
The body of Jewish literature written between the second century B.C.
and the second century A.D., not included in the canon of the Hebrew Bible.
Aravah pl. Aravot
Willow branch taken as one of the four species on the Feast of Tabernacles.
Arba'ah Minim (al. the Four Species) - Palm, myrtle, willow and citron;
another name for the lulav and etrog together, used on Sukkot.
Ariel
Lion of God
Fireplace on God's altar
Aron haKodesh
Literally: the Holy Ark.
The special cabinet in which the Torah scrolls are kept in the synagogue
The Holy Ark is called Heichal in Sephardic synagogues.
Aseret Yemei Teshuvah
The ten days of penitence.
Ashkenazi pl. Ashkenazim
Referring to Jews of Central and Eastern European origin.
Athid Lavo
The coming age.
Atzeret
Conclusion
Used for concluding observance of festival.
Word derived from "gathering" or "detention," original meanings.
Shemini Atzeret is concluding day of Sukkoth.
Atzeret is Talmudic term for Shavuot, conclusion of Omer count.
A festive gathering for the conclusion of a festive season, a concluding
feast.
Av
Eleventh month of Jewish year.
Avinu
our father
Avinu Malkenu
Literally: our Father, our King.
A prayer of supplication recited on Yom Kippur.
A prayer said on the Days of Penitence and fast days.
Aviv
Also called Abib.
Nisan was known as Aviv/Abib prior to Babylonian captivity
Ayin
16th letter of the Hebrew alef-beit (alphabet)
Azarah pl. Azarot
The Temple Courtyard.
Ezrat Nashim - the outer Courtyard in the Sanctuary.
Azazel
scapegoat
Goat sent into the wilderness signifying removal of the nation's sins
Bar / Bat (al. Bas) Mitzvah
Literally: son / daughter of the commandment.
Ceremony marking a youngster's reaching the age of religious majority,
traditionally thirteen for boys and twelve for girls; in many congregations,
thirteen for girls as well.
Baruch
Bless, blessed
Beit HaMikdash (al. Bayt, Bet)
House of Sanctity; synagogue.
The sanctuary or Temple in Jerusalem.
Beit Lechem
Bethlehem
House of bread
Birthplace of Yeshua and King David.
Betzah
Roasted egg, a symbol for the second sacrifice of Passover.
Beyt (Beit, Beth)
The second letter of the Hebrew Alef-Beyt (alphabet)
Bikkurim (al. Bikurim)
The Offering of the First Fruit.
Barley harvest
First fruit
Bimah
The raised platform in the synagogue from which the Torah is read and
from which worship services are usually conducted.
The platform is called tevah in Sephardic synagogues.
Readings selected by sages durring the time when Torah
reading was forbidden
Nevi'im reading selected to remind one of the Torah reading
Haggadah/Haggadot
Hebrew for "the telling"
Named from the Lord's command "tell your son/show your son"
in Shemot/Exodus 13:8
Book which relates the Passover story through readings, songs, prayers,
foods, in the traditional prescribed order (Seder) around the meal
There are Haggadot posted online or avilable through bookstores...write
the developers of this site developers@derech.org
if you have any questions or would like some suggested links.
Hag Hakatzir
The Feast of Weeks
the official beginning of the summer heavest season (wheat crop specifically)
Two black leather boxes containing scrolls of Scripture passages
Exodus 13:1-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21
Sometimes during prayers, one box is affixed to one's hand and arm and
the other to one's forehead as a physical effort to obey the passage in
Deuteronomy 6:8
Also called phylacteries
Tehillim
Psalms
Teshuvah
Return
Turning toward God
Repentance
Tisha B'Av
9th of the month of Av
Day of fasting for the destruction of the temple
Tishrei
First month of the Hebrew civil calendar: September-October.
Tohorat Mishpakhah
Family Purity
Torah
Teaching or instruction but usually translated 'law'. The Instruction
of God.
In a narrow sense the Five Books of Moshe(Moses), the Pentateuch - B'resheet,
Sh'mot, Vayikra, B'midbar, D'varim (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy), called the Written Torah.
The above plus the Prophets(Nevi'im)
and Writings(K'tuvim) is
together called the Tanakh (TNK)/Tenach or the Hebrew Bible.
In a broad sense the whole Written Word of God is the Torah, to include
what is called the "Old Testament" (Tanakh) as well as the New
Testament (B'rit Chadashah).
note: additional material called the "Oral Torah" is considered
in varying degrees as authoritative in Judaism.
Uncapitalized can be understood as principle.
Tu' B'Shvat
New Year for Trees
Yahweh
YHVH or YHWH
Tetragrammatron (the four Hebrew letters usually transliterated YHWH or
YHVH that form a biblical proper name of God)
TRANSLITERATED
HEBREW GLOSSARY