An asterisk indicates a cross reference within this Glossary.

All non-English entries are Hebrew unless otherwise indicated.

Acharonim	halachic authorities of the period since the publication of the *Shulchan Aruch in the sixteenth century
Acharon shel Pesach	the Last Day of Passover
aggados	(the singular Aram. form is aggad'ta): non-legal teachings on the non-literal level of interpretation known as *derush
ahavas Yisrael	loving a fellow Jew
alma de'isgalya	(lit., "the world of revelation"; Aram.): the spiritual realm in which Divinity is revealed
alma de'iskasya	(lit., "the world of concealment"; Aram.): the spiritual realm in which Divinity is concealed
amoraim	post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the *Gemara
Asiyah, the World of	(lit., "the World of Action, or Making"): the lowest of the Four *Worlds
Atzilus, the World of	(lit., "the World of Emanation"): the highest of the Four *Worlds
avodah	(lit., "work" or "service"): (in Torah usage) divine service, particularly through prayer and (in chassidic usage) through the labor of self-refinement
beis din	rabbinical court
Beis HaMikdash	the (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem
beis midrash	communal House of Study
beraisa (pl., beraisos; Aram.)	tannaitic statement not included in the Mishnah
beirurim	the divine service of sifting and refining the materiality of this world by enlightened use, and thereby elevating the divine sparks concealed within it
Beriah, the World of	(lit., "the World of Creation"): the second (in descending order) of the Four *Worlds
Binah	(lit., "understanding"): the second of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; the second stage of the intellectual process (cf. *Chabad), developing the initial conception of *Chochmah
Chabad	acronym formed by the initial letters of the Hebrew words *Chochmah, *Binah, and *Daas, which are both (i) the first three of the Ten *Sefiros, or divine emanations, and (ii) the corresponding stages that comprise the intellectual process (known as seichel or Chabad). Chabad also signifies: (a) the branch of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus) which is rooted in an intellectual approach to the service of G-d, and which was founded by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi; a synonym for Chabad in this sense is *Lubavitch, originally the name of the township where the movement flourished 1813-1915; (b) the philosophy of this school of Chassidism
challah	(a) a tithe of dough for the Kohen; (b) a braided loaf baked in honor of Shabbos
chassid (pl., chassidim)	adherent of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus)
Chassidism	see *Chassidus
Chassidus	Chassidism, i.e., the movement within Orthodox Judaism founded in White Russia by R. Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), and stressing: emotional involvement in prayer; service of G-d through the material universe; wholehearted earnestness in divine service; the mystical in addition to the legalistic dimension of Judaism; the power of joy, and of music; the love to be shown to every Jew, unconditionally; and the mutual physical and moral responsibility of the members of the informal chassidic brotherhood, each chassid having cultivated a spiritual attachment to their saintly and charismatic leader, the *Rebbe; (b) the philosophy and literature of this movement; see also *Chabad
chayim	life
Chessed	(lit., "lovingkindness"): the first of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Chochmah	(lit., "wisdom"): the first of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; the first stage of the intellectual process (cf. *Chabad); reason in potentia
chutzpah	insolence
Daas	(lit., "knowledge"): the third of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; the third stage of the intellectual process (cf.*Chabad), at which concepts, having proceeded from seminal intuition (cf. *Chochmah) through meditative gestation (cf. *Binah), now mature into their corresponding dispositions or attributes of character (middos)
daven, davenen	(a) praying, prayers; in *Chabad usage also signifies (b) the *avodah of praying at length, the reading of passages in the *Siddur being interspersed with pauses for disciplined meditation from memory on related texts in *Chassidus
derush	the non-literal, homiletic interpretation of Scripture, as in the *Midrash or Talmudic *aggados
Ein Sof-light	the [infinite] creative and enlightening emanation that radiates from the Infinite One
Eretz Yisrael	the Land of Israel
erev...	(lit., "evening"): the eve of [a Sabbath or a festival]
etzem	an entity which is one integral essence
galus	exile; Diaspora
Gemara	(Aram.): see *Talmud
geulah	redemption
Gevurah	(lit., "power"; i.e., strict justice): the second of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
golah	exile; Diaspora
haftorah	(lit., "final passage"): the passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the Five Books of Moses (cf. Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 187)
Haggadah	(lit., "telling", from Shmos 13:8): book from which the *Seder service is conducted on *Pesach
Hakkafos (pl. of Hakkafah; lit., "circuits")	the sevenfold procession made with the Torah scrolls in the synagogue on *Simchas Torah, accompanied by singing and dancing (cf. Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 335)
Halachah	(a) the body of Torah law; (b) a particular law
Hod	(lit., "majesty"): the fifth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Hoshana Rabbah	the seventh day of the festival of Sukkos
ikvesa diMeshicha (also ikvos Meshicha; Aram.)	the [generation that can hear the approaching] "footsteps of *Mashiach"
Kabbalah	(lit., "received tradition"): the body of classical Jewish mystical teachings, the central text of which is the *Zohar
kabbalas ol	(lit., "acceptance of the yoke"): self-subordination to the Will of G-d
kal vachomer	a principle of Scriptural interpretation whereby a conclusion is drawn from a minor premise or more lenient condition to a major or more strict one, or vice versa
kashrus	state of being *kosher
kelippos	(lit., "rind" or "shell"; pl. of kelippah): used figuratively (on a personal or universal level) to signify an outer covering which conceals the light within; hence, the unholy side of the universe
ketz	(lit., "end"): a particularly auspicious time for *Mashiach to bring the exile to an end
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch	part of the Code of Jewish Law as abbreviated by R. Shlomo Ganzfried for lay use
kochos makkifim	the transcendent faculties of the soul
kochos pnimiyim	the internalized, conscious faculties of the soul
Kohen (pl., Kohanim)	"priests", i.e., descendants of Aharon
Kohen Gadol	high priest
kosher	ritually fit for use or valid (cf. *kashrus)
kushia (popularly pronounced kashe; Aram.)	a query posed in the course of clarifying a seeming inconsistency, logical or textual, encountered in one's Torah study
Lubavitch	(lit., "town of love"; Rus.): townlet in White Russia which from 1813-1915 was the center of *Chabad *Chassidism, and whose name has remained a synonym for it
maamar (pl., maamarim; lit., "word" or "[written] article")	in *Chabad circles means a formal chassidic discourse first delivered by a *Rebbe
makkif	the transcendent dimension of the soul that is not consciously vested in the body
Malchus	(lit., "sovereignty"): the last of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Mashiach	(lit., "the anointed one"): Messiah
matzah (pl., matzos)	unleavened bread eaten on *Pesach
Melaveh Malkah	festive meal held after the close of Shabbos to escort the departing Sabbath Queen
mezuzah (pl., mezuzos)	tiny parchment scroll affixed to doorpost, and containing the first two paragraphs of Shema (Devarim 6:-9 and 11:13-21)
Midrash	one of the classical collections of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of *derush
minyan (pl., minyanim)	quorum of ten men required for communal prayer
Mishkan	the Tabernacle, i.e., the temporary Sanctuary in the wilderness; see Shmos 25ff.
Mishnah	the germinal statements of law elucidated by the *Gemara, together with which they constitute the *Talmud
mitzvah (pl., mitzvos)	a religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments
Mussaf	the additional prayer of *Shabbos and other festive days
nasi	(a) in Biblical times, the head of any one of the Twelve Tribes; (b) in later generations, the civil and/or spiritual head of the Jewish community at large
nazir	one who sets himself apart for divine service by undertaking certain ascetic restrictions; cf. Bamidbar 6:1-21
Netzach	(lit., "eternity; conquest; victory"): the fourth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
nigleh	(lit., "revealed"): the revealed levels of the Torah (e.g., *Talmud and *Halachah); in contrast to *nistar
niggun (pl., niggunim)	melody, usually wordless, especially one figuring in divine service
nistar	(lit., "hidden"): the mystical levels of the Torah (e.g., *Kabbalah and *Chassidus); in contrast to *nigleh
parshah (pl., parshiyos)	portion of the Torah read publicly each week
Parshas...	the parshah of...
Pesach	Passover, a seven-day festival beginning on 15 Nissan, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt
Pirkei Avos	(lit., "chapters of the fathers"): tractate in the *Mishnah reprinted in most *Siddurim and commonly known as "Ethics of the Fathers"
pnimiyus haTorah	the innermost, mystical dimension of the Torah; cf. *nistar
posek (pl., poskim)	decisors; rabbis whose legal decisions are authoritative
pshat	the plain meaning of (e.g.) a Scriptural passage
rasha (pl., resha'im)	opposite of *tzaddik
rav (pl., rabbanim)	rabbi, Torah teacher
Rebbe	*tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim; see *Chassidus
remez	the interpretation of Scripture at the level of allusive implication
resha'im	see *rasha
Rishon	(lit., "one of the early ones"; pl., Rishonim): a Torah authority of the period between the Geonim (early Middle Ages) and the publication of the *Shulchan Aruch (in the mid-sixteenth century)
Rosh Chodesh	(lit., "head of the month"; pl. Rashei Chadashim): New Moon, i.e., one or two semi-festive days at the beginning of each month
Rosh HaShanah	(lit., "head of the year"): the solemn New Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei
Seder	(lit., "order"; pl., sedarim): the order of service observed at home on the first night of *Pesach (and outside of *Eretz Yisrael on the first two nights)
Sefer Torah (pl., Sifrei Torah)	Torah scroll
Sefirah (pl., Sefiros)	divine attributes or emanations which manifest themselves in each of the Four Worlds, and are the source of the corresponding ten faculties (kochos) of the soul
seudas Mashiach	the Festive Meal of Mashiach held on the Last Day of *Pesach
Seventeenth of Tammuz, the Fast of	fast commemorating five calamities, including the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem during the Roman siege
Shabbos (pl., Shabbasos)	the Sabbath
Shabbos Parshas...	the *Shabbos on which a [named] *parshah is read
shaliach	emissary
Shavuos	(lit., "weeks"): festival commemorating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai; in *Eretz Yisrael falling on 6 Sivan, and in the Diaspora on 6-7 Sivan
Shechinah	the Divine Presence
shechitah	ritual slaughtering
Shehecheyanu	(lit., "Who has granted us life"): blessing pronounced on seasonal and other occasions for thanksgiving (Siddur, p. 87)
Shemitah	the seven-yearly Sabbatical year (Vayikra 25:1-7)
Shemoneh Esreh	(lit., "eighteen [benedictions]"): prayer which is the solemn climax of each of the three daily services (Siddur, p. 50)
Shlita	abbreviation placed after a person's name, expressing the wish "that he be preserved in life for many good days"
Shofar	ram's horn sounded on *Rosh HaShanah
Shulchan Aruch	(lit., "a set table"): the standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century
sichah (pl., sichos)	an informal Torah talk delivered by a Rebbe (cf. *maamar)
Siddur	(lit., "order [of prayers]"): prayer book; page references in the present work are to the edition (with English translation) entitled Siddur Tehillat HaShem (Kehot, N.Y., 1979)
Simchas Torah	(lit., "the Rejoicing of the Torah"): festival immediately following Sukkos, on which the public reading of the Torah is annually concluded and recommenced; in *Eretz Yisrael coincides with Shemini Atzeres, and in the Diaspora falls on the following day
siyyum	(lit., "conclusion"): celebration marking one's completion of a Talmudic tractate
sod	the level of Torah interpretation that plumbs its Kabbalistic or mystical depths
taam	flavor; delight; reason
takkanos (pl. of takkanah)	halachic sublaws ordained by the Sages of the various generations
Talmud	the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary, comprising *Mishnah and *Gemara; when unspecified refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed in Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Talmud Yerushalmi is the edition compiled in *Eretz Yisrael at end of the fourth century C.E.
tamim	see *temimim
Tanach	acronym for Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (the Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Writings; i.e., the Hagiographa
tanna (pl., tannaim)	authority of the 1st-2nd. cents. quoted in the *Mishnah
Tanya	the Alter Rebbe's basic exposition of *Chabad *Chassidus; "Tanya" is the initial word of the book, which is also called Likkutei Amarim ("Collected Discourses") and Sefer shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Intermediates")
tefach (pl., tefachim)	a unit of length corresponding to the width of a fist
tefillin	small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages, bound to the arm and forehead and worn by men at weekday morning prayers; "phylacteries"
Tehillim	(lit., "praises"): the Book of Psalms
temimim (pl. of tamim)	students past or present of one of the senior *yeshivos of the *Lubavitch branch of *Chassidism, which are known as Tomchei Temimim
teshuvah	(lit., "return"): repentance
Tiferes	(lit., "glory"): the third of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
tikkun (pl., tikkunim)	the process of refining, restituting and rehabilitating the materiality of this world
Tikkun Chatzos	(lit., "midnight service"): an optional devotional exercise lamenting the Destruction of the *Beis HaMikdash and the subsequent exile of the Divine Presence on a cosmic level
tinokos shenishbu	(cf. "an infant taken into captivity among the heathen nations"; Shabbos 68b): "captive infants" (of any age) who are victims of environmental duress, such as educational deprivation
Tishah BeAv	(lit., "the Ninth of [the month of] Av"): fast commemorating the Destruction of both Temples
Tomchei Temimim	(a) the *yeshivah founded in *Lubavitch in 1897 by the Rebbe Rashab; (b) one of its subsequent offshoots
tzaddik (pl., tzaddikim)	(a) completely righteous individual; (b) *Rebbe
tzedakah	charity
tzimtzum	the self-limitation of the infinite and emanating Divine light by progressive degrees of contraction, condensation and concealment, and making possible the creation of finite and physical substances
Worlds, the Four	the main stages in the creative process resulting from *tzimtzum; in descending order: *Atzilus, *Beriah, *Yetzirah and *Asiyah, often referred to by their acronym as abiya
yechidah	the innermost of the five levels of the soul
yeshivah	Torah academy for advanced students
Yesod	(lit., "foundation"): the sixth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Yetzirah, the World of	(lit., "the World of Formation"): the third (in descending order) of the Four *Worlds
Yiddishkeit	(lit., "Jewishness"; Yid.): the Torah way of life
Yom-Tov	festival
Yom-Tov Sheni shel Galuyos	one of the days which only in the Diaspora is appended to each of the three Pilgrim Festivals
Yud-Beis and Yud-Gimmel Tammuz	("the twelfth and thirteenth of [the month of] Tammuz"): chassidic festival marking the anniversary of the release of the Rebbe Rayatz from incarceration and exile in Stalinist Russia in 1927
Yud-Tes Kislev	("the nineteenth of [the month of] Kislev"): chassidic festival celebrating the liberation of the Alter Rebbe from capital sentence and imprisonment in Petersburg (1798), after having been slandered to the czarist authorities by his opponents
Zohar	(lit., "radiance"): classical work embodying the mystical teachings of the *Kabbalah