An asterisk indicates a cross reference within this Glossary.

All non-English entries are Hebrew unless otherwise indicated.

acharon	(lit., "the last"): congregant called to the Torah in addition to the statutory number and before the Maftir
Acharon shel Pesach	the final day of *Pesach
Afikoman	the last piece of *matzah eaten at the *Seder, in commemoration of the Paschal sacrifice
Akdamus	(Aram.): poem recited during the Morning Service on *Shavuos (Siddur, p. 400)
alef	the first letter of the Heb. alphabet
alef-beis	the Heb. alphabet
Aleinu	initial word of the profession of faith with which each of the three daily prayer services concludes (Siddur, p. 84)
aliyah (pl., aliyos; lit., "ascent")	the honor of being called upon in synagogue to ascend to the dais for the public Reading of the Torah
Anash	(acronym for anshei shlomeinu, lit., "men of our peace"; cf. Yirmeyahu 38:22, Ovadiah 1:7): cordial term used for the chassidic fraternity
aneinu	(lit., "answer us"): supplication added to the *Shemoneh Esreh on a fast-day (Siddur, p. 53)
aravos	sprigs of willow bound with the *lulav and used during *Sukkos for the mitzvah of the *Four Species
areiv kablan	a third-party guarantor
Aseres HaDibros	the Ten Commandments (Shmos 20:2-14)
Aseres Yemei Teshuvah	the Ten Days of Penitence from *Rosh HaShanah to *Yom Kippur inclusive
avodah	(lit., "work" or "service"): (in universal Torah usage) divine service, particularly through prayer (see *davenen) and (in chassidic usage) through the labor of self-refinement
baal toke'a	person sounding the *Shofar
badeken	(lit., "covering"; Yid.): veiling of the bride before the wedding ceremony
Bamidbar	the Book of Numbers
Barchu	(lit., "Bless..."): one of the responsive readings in congregational prayer (Siddur, p. 42)
Bareich	(lit., "Bless..."): stage in the *Seder at which the Grace After Meals is recited
bar-mitzvah	(boy celebrating his) religious coming of age at 13
Baruch ShePetarani	blessing recited at the Reading of the Torah by the father of a *bar-mitzvah (Siddur, p. 70)
bedikas chametz	the search for leaven on the evening before *Seder night
Behab	acronym for series of fasts on Monday-Thursday-Monday following certain festivals
Beis HaMikdash	the (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem
beis midrash	communal House of Study
Beitzah	the egg as a component of the *Seder dish
berachah (pl., berachos)	blessing or benediction
Beraisa (pl., beraisos; Aram.)	tannaitic statement not included in the Mishnah; see *Talmud
Bereishis	(a) the Book of Genesis or (b) its opening chapters read publicly on the first Shabbos after *Simchas Torah
bimah	raised table at which the Torah is publicly read in the synagogue, and from which a sermon is often delivered
Birkas HaGomel	blessing of thanksgiving recited at the Reading of the Torah by a person delivered from danger (Siddur, p. 70)
Birkas HaMazon	blessings of thanksgiving after a meal that included bread (Siddur, p. 88)
Birkas Kohanim	(also known as Nesias Kapayim - lit., "the raising of the hands"): the Priestly Blessing (Bamidbar 6:24-26; Siddur, pp. 268-9)
Bris Milah	the covenant of circumcision (Siddur, p. 410)
Chabad	(acronym formed by the initial letters of the Heb. words chochmah, binah and daas): (a) the branch of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus) whose roots are in an intellectual approach to the service of G-d, and which was founded by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe; a synonym for Chabad in this sense is *Lubavitch, the name of the township where the movement flourished 1813-1915; (b) the philosophy of this school of Chassidism
challah	(a) in the time of the *Beis HaMikdash, a mandatory contribution of dough for the *Kohen; (b) a usually braided loaf (pl., challos) baked in honor of *Shabbos
chametz	leavened products forbidden for use on *Pesach
Chanukah	eight-day festival beginning 25 Kislev, commemorating the Maccabees' rededication of the *Beis HaMikdash in the second century B.C.E., and marked by the kindling of lights (Siddur, p. 339)
Chanukah gelt	(Heb./Yid.): pocket money traditionally distributed to children at that season
charoses	mixture of chopped fruits and nuts, spices and wine, into which the *maror is dipped at the Pesach *Seder
chassan	bridegroom
chassid (pl., chassidim)	adherent of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus)
chassidish (with variable suffix)	the Yid. adjective means more than simply "chassidic": it embraces all the positive qualities of character that distinguish a person imbued with the teachings of *Chassidus
Chassidism	see *Chassidus
Chassidus	Chassidism, i.e., (a) the movement within Orthodox Judaism founded in the eighteenth century by R. Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov, and stressing: emotional involvement in prayer; service of G-d through the material universe; the primacy of 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 fellow 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
Chatzi-Kaddish	see *Half-Kaddish
chazarah	(lit., "repetition"): in the chassidic context, the oral repetition of a discourse whose memorized version is to be authorized by the *Rebbe from whose mouth it had been heard
chazeres	bitter herb used for the mitzvah of *maror at the Pesach *Seder
cheder	(lit., "room"; pl., chadarim): (a) a Torah school; (b) a particular class within the school
chinuch habayis	(lit., "dedication of the house"): housewarming
Chitas	(cf. Bereishis 35:5; acronym of the Heb. initials of *Chumash, *Tehillim and *Tanya): the triple daily study cycles instituted by the Rebbe Rayatz
cholam	one of the Heb. vowel signs
Chol HaMoed	(lit., "the weekday time of the festival"): the semi-festive intermediate days of *Pesach and *Sukkos
Chumash	the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch)
chuppah	(a) the canopy under which a wedding ceremony is solemnized ; (b) the wedding ceremony
dagesh	a grammatical mark indicated by a dot inserted within certain Heb. letters
daven, davenen	(Yid.): (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
deoraysa	(Aram.): (concerning a commandment:) of explicit Biblical authority
Eichah	the Book of Lamentations read on *Tishah BeAv
Elul	the month of stocktaking that precedes *Rosh HaShanah
erev	(lit., "evening" or "eve of"): when introducing another word (such as "Pesach") it means the day that ends with the onset of the holy day at sunset
esrog (pl., esrogim)	citron, used during the festival of *Sukkos for the mitzvah of the *Four Species
farbrengen	(Yid.): (a) an assemblage addressed by a *Rebbe; (b) an informal gathering of chassidim for mutual edification and brotherly criticism
Fast of Esther	fast observed (usually on the thirteenth of Adar) in commemoration of the fast of Queen Esther at the time of the miracle of *Purim
Fast of Gedaliah	fast falling on the third of Tishrei, commemorating the assassination of the Jewish governor of Judea appointed by the Babylonians after the Destruction of the First *Beis HaMikdash
Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz	fast commemorating five calamities, including the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem during the Roman siege
Four Species, the	*mitzvah performed on *Sukkos requiring four kinds of plants - the *lulav, *esrog, *hadassim and *aravos - which are taken in hand, and over which a blessing is pronounced (Siddur, p. 240)
gaon (pl., geonim; lit., "magnificent")	a Torah genius; especially, the head of one of the Babylonian *Talmudic academies that illuminated the period that the world calls the "Dark Ages"
gartl	(Yid.): belt worn during prayer
Gemara	(Aram.): see *Talmud
golel	congregant honored with the binding of the Torah scroll after the public reading
Gut Yom-Tov	(Yid./Heb.): festival greeting
hadassim	sprigs of myrtle bound with the *lulav and used during *Sukkos for the mitzvah of the *Four Species
Haftorah	(lit., "final passage"): the passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the *Chumash (cf. Siddur, p. 187)
Haggadah	(lit., "telling", from Shmos 13:8): book from which the *Seder service is conducted on *Pesach
HaGomel	see *Birkas HaGomel
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 (Siddur, p. 335)
Hallel	Psalms of praise and thanksgiving (viz., Tehillim 113-118) which are recited on certain festive days within a framework of appropriate blessings (Siddur, p. 241)
Half-Kaddish	a brief form of *Kaddish (Siddur, p. 42)
HaMotzi	(lit., "Who brings forth" [bread from the earth]): key word of blessing pronounced before eating bread (Siddur, p. 87)
hataras nedarim	the annulment of vows (Siddur, p. 269)
Havdalah	(lit., "separation" ): blessings pronounced over wine at nightfall at the conclusion of a Sabbath or festival to mark it off from the ordinary weekdays that follow (Siddur, p. 234)
hefsek	an unwarranted interruption (during prayer)
hei	the fifth letter of the Heb. alphabet
hiddurim (sing. of hiddur; lit., "embellishment")	enhancement or meticulous observance of a *mitzvah beyond the formal demands of the law
hiskashrus	the bond between chassid (see *Chassidus) and *Rebbe
Hoshana Rabbah	the seventh day of *Sukkos
Isru Chag	the day following one of the three Pilgrim Festivals
Kabbalah	(lit., "received tradition"): the body of classical Jewish mystical teachings
kabbalas panim	reception in honor of (e.g.) a bridegroom
Kabbalas Shabbos	the Friday evening service that welcomes the incoming *Shabbos (Siddur, p. 128)
Kaddeishim	popular pl. form of *Kaddish
Kaddish	(lit., "holy"; Aram.): brief prayer recited by a mourner or by the congregant leading a communal prayer service (see also *Half-Kaddish, and the three entries hereunder)
Kaddish DeRabbanan	(lit., "the Kaddish of the Sages"; Aram.): *Kaddish recited after the study of certain post-Biblical texts (Siddur, p. 26)
Kaddish Tiskabel	(also known as Kaddish Shalem - "the complete Kaddish"): a version of the *Kaddish that is identical with *Kaddish Yasom but with the insertion of the sentence beginning "Tiskabel..." (Siddur, p. 74)
Kaddish Yasom	the Mourner's *Kaddish (Siddur, p. 77)
kaf	the eleventh letter of the Heb. alphabet
kallah	a bride
kamatz	one of the Heb. vowel signs
kapparos	atonement ceremony performed before *Yom Kippur
Karpas	vegetable dipped in salt water in the course of the Pesach *Seder
kazayis (pl., kazeisim)	lit., the [weight or mass] equivalent of an olive
Ke'arah	the plate of symbolic foods used at the Pesach *Seder
Kedushah	a passage of responsive readings recited only in congregational worship (Siddur, pp. 52, 179, 193)
kelipas nogah	differs from the other *kelipos, which are uniformly evil, in that its spiritual potential (the "brightness" within it) can be redeemed by man's constructive intent while making use of the physicality in which it is vested
kelipos	(lit., "rind" or "shell"; pl. of kelipah): used figuratively (on a personal or cosmic level) to signify an outer covering which conceals the light within; hence, the unholy side of the universe
Kerias HaTorah	the public reading of passages from the *Sefer Torah as a component of certain congregational services (Siddur, pp. 69, 183)
Kerias Shema	(lit., "the reading of the Shema"): (a) the daily declaration of faith (Siddur, p. 46); (b) the daily stocktaking that accompanies the reading of the Shema and certain other passages before retiring for the night (Siddur, p. 118)
Kesivah VaChasimah Tovah	*Rosh HaShanah greeting (cf. Siddur, p. 276)
Kiddush	(lit., "sanctification"): blessings recited over a goblet of wine and expressing the sanctity of Shabbos or a festival
kiddushin	betrothal
Kinos	the poetic dirges read on *Tishah BeAv
Kislev	the ninth month; the month in which *Chanukah begins
kittel	(Yid.): white gown worn on certain solemn occasions
Kohen (pl., Kohanim)	"priest"; i.e., a descendant of Aharon
Kol Nidrei	(lit., "all vows"; Aram.): solemn declaration opening the evening service of *Yom Kippur
Korban Pesach	the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb (Shmos, ch. 12)
korech	sandwich of *matzah and *maror eaten at the Pesach *Seder
kreplach	(Yid.): pastry delicacy with filling of ground meat or chicken traditionally served on certain festive occasions
Lag BaOmer	the thirty-third day of the *Omer, a minor festival falling between *Pesach and *Shavuos
lekach	(Yid.): cake (such as that eaten on the morning of the eve of *Yom Kippur)
Levi	a descendant of the tribe of Levi, though not a *Kohen
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
lulav	closed palm-branch, used during *Sukkos for the *mitzvah of the *Four Species
maamar (pl., maamarim; lit., "word" or "[written] article")	in Chabad circles means a formal chassidic discourse first delivered by a *Rebbe
Maariv (also called Arvis)	evening prayer service (Siddur, p. 106)
machtzis hashekel	the half-shekel contributed annually in the days of the *Beis HaMikdash (Shmos 30:11-16) and its symbolic Purim-eve equivalent today
malchus	the Divine attribute of sovereignty
malkos	the nominal stripes administered on the afternoon of erev *Yom Kippur
MarCheshvan	the eight month; the month following Tishrei
maror	the "bitter herb" eaten at the Pesach *Seder
mashke	(lit., "beverage"): in chassidic usage signifies sip of strong drink over which LeChaim is said
matzah (pl., matzos)	unleavened bread eaten on *Pesach
Mayim Acharonim	(lit., "the latter water"): the washing of the fingertips after a meal, in preparation for Grace after Meals
mechiras chametz	the sale to a non-Jew of leavened goods or vessels which cannot remain one's property over *Pesach
mechutan (pl. mechutanim)	the father of one's son-in-law or daughter-in-law
Megillah (pl., megillos)	a scroll, esp. the Scroll of Esther which is publicly read on *Purim
meiein shalosh	(lit., "like the three"): the blessing of thanksgiving that echoes the first three blessings of the Grace after Meals and that is recited after partaking of certain foods (Siddur, p. 94)
mei geshamim	rainwater (as used in a *mikveh)
Menachem Av	the fifth month, whose first nine days of mourning climax in the Fast of *Tishah BeAv
Menorah (pl., menoros)	candelabrum, esp. the one kindled in the Beis HaMikdash, or one used on the festival of *Chanukah
mezuzah (pl., mezuzos)	tiny parchment scroll affixed to a doorpost and containing the first two paragraphs of *Shema (Devarim 6:4-9 and 11:13-21)
mikveh (pl., mikvaos)	pool for ritual immersion
Minchah	afternoon prayer service (Siddur, p. 96)
minhag (pl., minhagim)	custom
minyan	(a) quorum of at least ten adult males assembled for prayer or other mitzvah; (b) place of public prayer; shul
Mi SheBeirach	(lit., "May He Who blessed..."): opening words of brief prayer on behalf of a specific person that often accompanies the Reading of the Torah in the synagogue (Siddur, p. 186)
Mishloach Manos	food gifts exchanged on *Purim (Esther 9:19)
mishnayos	individual passages from the Mishnah; see *Talmud
mitzvah (pl., mitzvos)	a religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments
Modeh Ani	(lit., "I thank [You]..."): opening phrase of the first sentence said upon rising in the morning (Siddur, p. 6)
Modim	blessing of thanksgiving and praise in the *Shemoneh Esreh (Siddur, p. 58)
Moreh Shiur	table indicating the exact passages to be studied every day of the year in the course of the *Chitas study cycles
Motzaei [Shabbos, etc.]	evening on which [a *Shabbos or *Yom-Tov] ends
Mourner's Kaddish	see *Kaddish Yasom
Mussaf	the additional prayer of *Shabbos and other festive days corresponding to the additional sacrifice offered on those days in the *Beis HaMikdash (Siddur, p. 193, 256, etc.)
naanuim	the measured movements of the *Four Species as they are extended towards (and retracted from) certain specified directions after the berachah and in the course of *Hallel
Nefilas Apayim	(lit., "falling on one's face"): a stance of supplication in which the head is rested on the forearm, such as during *Tachanun
Neilah	(lit., "closing"): the climactic prayer service of *Yom Kippur
nekudos	the vocalization points which indicate the Heb. vowels
ner neshamah	(lit., "soul lamp," cf. Mishlei 20:27; in Yid., yahrzeit licht, i.e., "anniversary lamp"): twenty-four hour candle lit on the eve of a *yahrzeit and on certain other occasions
neshamah klalis	the comprehensive soul of a *Rebbe which incorporates a bond with the souls of all the Jews of his generation
Nesias Kapayim	see *Birkas Kohanim
Netilas Yadayim	the ritual washing of the hands upon rising in the morning, before eating bread, etc. (Siddur, p. 6)
niggun (pl., niggunim)	melody, usually wordless, especially one figuring in divine service
nigleh	the revealed levels of the Torah (e.g., *Talmud and Halachah); in contrast to nistar
Nissan	the first month; the month in which the festival of *Pesach occurs
Nussach Ari	the order and wording of the prayers according to the teachings of the sixteenth-century Kabbalist, R. Yitzchak Luria, based on the liturgical tradition known as *Nussach Sephard
Nussach Sephard	the order and wording of the prayers according to the tradition originating in Spain and spreading from there to all the lands of the dispersion that followed the Expulsion
Omer	(lit., a certain measure of grain): the period of 49 days counted (see *Sefiras HaOmer) from the second day of *Pesach to the eve of *Shavuos (Vayikra 23:15-16; Siddur, p. 340)
opsherenish	(Yid.): traditional first haircut of a little boy when he turns three
osiyos	the letters (of the Heb. alphabet)
parshah (pl., parshiyos)	portion of the Torah read publicly each week
Parshas...	the Parshah of [a certain Shabbos or festive occasion]
Parshas HaChodesh	passage (Shmos 12:1-20) publicly read on or before Rosh Chodesh *Nissan
Pesach	Passover, a seven-day festival beginning on 15 Nissan, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt
Pesach Sheni	(lit., "the second Pesach"): opportunity given to certain persons who were unable to offer the Pesach sacrifice to do so one month later (Bamidbar 9:6-14)
Pesukei DeZimrah	(lit., "verses of praise"): the bracket of passages of praise, mainly from *Tehillim, which appear early in *Shacharis, opening with Baruch SheAmar and closing with Yishtabach (Siddur, pp. 30-42)
peyos	sidecurls or sideburns (cf. Vayikra 19:27)
pidyon nefesh	(lit., "redemption of the soul"): note, accompanied by donation for charity, in which the writer requests his Rebbe to intercede in prayer on behalf of himself or of another person named therein
poskim (pl. of posek)	decisors; rabbis whose legal decisions are authoritative
Priestly Blessing, the	see *Birkas Kohanim
prozbol	document allowing a debt to be collected in the Sabbatical year (Devarim 15:2; Tractate Shevi'is 10:3-7)
Purim	(lit., "lots"): one-day festival falling on 14 Adar and commemorating the miraculous salvation of the Jews of the Persian Empire in the 4th cent. B.C.E.
Purim Katan	(lit., "Minor Purim"): semi-festive day in the intercalated first month of Adar in a leap year, whose date corresponds to the date in which Purim is actually celebrated that year in the following month of Adar
Raavad, the tefillin of	see *tefillin
Rabbeinu Tam, the tefillin of	see *tefillin
Rashi	(Heb. acronym: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105): foremost commentator on the Torah and *Talmud; see *tefillin
rav (pl., rabbanim)	rabbi, Torah teacher
Rebbe	tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim
rebbitzin	(Yid.): wife of *rav or *Rebbe
Rosh Chodesh (pl. Rashei Chadashim; lit., "head of the month")	New Moon, i.e., one or two semi-festive days at the beginning of the month
Rosh HaShanah	(lit., "head of the year"): the New Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei
s'chach	the vegetative covering of a *sukkah
Seder (pl., Sedarim; lit., "order")	the order of service observed at home on the first night of *Pesach (and outside of *Eretz Yisrael on the first two nights)
sefer	a [sacred] book
Sefer Torah	a Torah scroll
Sefirah (pl., Sefiros)	divine attributes or emanations which are manifested in each of the Four Worlds, and are the source of the ten corresponding faculties (kochos) of the soul
Sefirah (Counting of the Omer)	see *Sefiras HaOmer
Sefiras HaOmer (Counting of the *Omer)	the formal counting of the 49 days from the second day of *Pesach to the eve of *Shavuos (Vayikra 23:15-16; Siddur, p. 340)
segol	one of the Heb. vowel signs
Selichos	penitential prayers read before the morning service in the days preceding the Days of Awe
semichah	rabbinic ordination
seudah	a [festive] meal
seudah mafsekes	last meal eaten before a fast
Seudah Shelishis	(lit., "the Third Meal"): the mystic meal held at sunset on *Shabbos
seudas mitzvah	festive meal held in celebration of a religious obligation
Shabbos	the Sabbath
Shabbas Chazon	the *Shabbos before *Tishah BeAv (from the Haftorah, Yeshayahu 1:1 ff.)
Shabbas HaGadol	(lit., "the Great Shabbos"): the *Shabbos preceding *Pesach
Shabbos Mevarchim	(lit., "the *Shabbos when one blesses"): the Shabbos preceding *Rosh Chodesh, marked by a prayer for the forthcoming month
Shabbas Nachamu	the Shabbos following the fast of *Tishah BeAv, when the passage beginning Nachamu (Yeshayahu 40:1) is read as the *Haftorah
Shabbos Rosh Chodesh	a *Shabbos that coincides with *Rosh Chodesh
Shabbas Shirah	the *Shabbos on which one reads Parshas Beshalach, which includes the Shirah, the Song of the Sea (Shmos 15:1-19)
Shabbas Shuvah	see *Shabbas Teshuvah
Shabbas Teshuvah	(lit., "the Shabbos of Repentance"): the *Shabbos between *Rosh HaShanah and *Yom Kippur; also known as Shabbas Shuvah (from the first word of the Haftorah read on that day, beginning Hoshea 14:2)
Shacharis	the morning prayer service (Siddur, p. 12ff.)
shamash	the candle from which the *Chanukah lamps are lit
Shavuos	(lit., "weeks"): festival commemorating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai, in Eretz Yisrael falling on 6 Sivan, in the Diaspora on 6-7 Sivan
Sheini	(lit., "the second"): the passage which is read for the second congregant to be called to the public Reading of the Torah
sheliach tzibbur	(lit., "emissary of the congregation"): worshiper leading a prayer service
Shelishi	(lit., "the third"): the passage which is read for the third congregant to be called to the public Reading of the Torah
Shema, the Reading of	see *Kerias Shema
Shemini Atzeres	festival immediately following *Sukkos; in Eretz Yisrael observed for one day and coinciding with *Simchas Torah, and in the Diaspora extending into a second day which is known as Simchas Torah
Shemitah	the Sabbatical year (see Vayikra 25:1-7)
Shemoneh Esreh	prayer (also known as Amidah) which is the solemn climax of each of the three daily services (Siddur, p. 50)
shemurah	(lit., "guarded"; abbrev. for shemurah-matzah, more grammatically matzah shemurah): matzah made from wheat or flour that has been guarded with especial care against dampness and consequent leavening
shemurah-matzah	see *shemurah
sheva berachos	(a) the seven blessings recited under the wedding canopy; (b) a meal of celebration held during the week following the wedding, at which these blessings are repeated
Shevi'i	(lit., "the seventh"): the passage which is read for the seventh congregant to be called to the public Reading of the Torah
Shimusha Rabba, the tefillin of	see *tefillin
Shir shel Yom	(lit., "the Song of the Day"): the particular Psalm originally sung with instrumental accompaniment on the steps of the *Beis HaMikdash and now recited towards the end of the morning prayers (Siddur, p. 76)
shiur (pl., shiurim)	Torah lesson or study session
Shivah	(lit., "seven"): the first seven days of mourning
shivas yemei hamishteh	the "seven days of feasting" which follow a wedding and are celebrated with *sheva berachos
Shlita	abbreviation placed after a person's name, expressing the wish "that he be preserved in life for many good days"
Shloshes Yemei Hagbalah	the "three days of separation" in preparation for the Giving of the Torah at Sinai
Shmos	(lit., "names"): the Book of Exodus
shochatim (pl. of shochet)	ritual slaughterers
Shofar	ram's horn sounded on *Rosh HaShanah
shul	(Yid.): synagogue
Shulchan Aruch	(lit., "a set table"): the standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century
Shulchan Aruch HaRav	(lit., "the *Shulchan Aruch of the Rabbi"): the edition of the Code of Jewish Law compiled by the Alter Rebbe
Shushan Purim	*Purim as observed on the fifteenth of Adar, instead of the fourteenth, in certain cities (including Jerusalem) that were walled in ancient times; cf. Esther 9:18
sichah (pl., sichos)	an informal Torah talk delivered by a Rebbe (cf. *maamar)
Siddur	(lit., "order [of prayers]"): prayer book
sidra	weekly portion of the Torah (also known as a *parshah) read in the synagogue
Sifrei Torah	see *Sefer Torah
Simchas Beis HaShoevah	(lit., "the rejoicing of the place of the water-drawing"): ceremony during *Sukkos in Temple times, recalled today by appropriate celebrations
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
simchas Yom-Tov	the joy of a festival
Sivan	the third month, the month in which the festival of *Shavuos is celebrated
Six Remembrances, the	verses recited daily at the close of the morning prayers in fulfillment of the Scriptural commandment to remember the subjects of which they speak (Siddur, p. 86)
siyum	(lit., "conclusion"): celebration marking the completion of a tractate of the *Talmud
sukkah	(lit., "booth"): temporary dwelling roofed with vegetation in which one lives during the festival of *Sukkos
Sukkos	(lit., "Booths"): seven-day festival beginning on 15 Tishrei, taking its name from the temporary dwelling in which one lives during this period, and marked also by the mitzvah of *Four Species
surtuk	(Yid.): frock coat worn on Shabbos and Yom-Tov
Tachanun	the penitential prayers recited on all non-festive days (Siddur, p. 61)
tagim	the "crowns" which adorn the upper edges of certain letters in the ritual script of *Sifrei Torah, etc.
tallis (or	tallis gadol, lit., "large tallis"): shawl worn by males during prayer and fringed with tzitzis (cf. Bamidbar 15:37-40)
tallis katan	(lit., "small tallis"): four-cornered garment worn constantly by males, and fringed with tzitzis (cf. Bamidbar 15:37-40)
Talmud	the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary; its tractates mainly comprise the discussions collectively known as the Gemara, which elucidate the germinal statements of law (mishnayos) collectively known as the Mishnah; 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.
Tammuz	the fourth month; the month during which the Three Weeks of mourning for the Destruction begin
Tanach	acronym for Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Holy Writings; i.e., the Hagiographa)
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")
Targum Onkelos	(lit., "the translation of Onkelos"): the classic Aramaic translation and paraphrase of the *Tanach by the second-century proselyte, Onkelos
Tashlich	(lit., "You shall cast..."; cf. Michah 7:19): riverside ritual of atonement on *Rosh HaShanah (Siddur, p. 295)
te'amim (known in Yid. as trop)	the musical cantillation signs that accompany the printed text of the Torah
tefach (pl., tefachim)	a unit of length corresponding to the width of a fist
tefillah betzibbur	praying with a congregation
Tefillas HaDerech	(lit., "the prayer of the road"): the prayer recited by travelers (Siddur, p. 86)
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; there are four main views as to the order in which the passages are to be arranged: the tefillin of *Rashi are worn universally; chassidim (and many others) wear in addition the tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam; while the tefillin of Raavad and of Shimusha Rabba are reserved for men of especial purity
Tehillim	(lit., "praises"): the Book of Psalms
temimim (pl. of tamim)	students past or present of one of the senior yeshivos (known as Tomchei Temimim) of the *Lubavitch branch of *Chassidism
Tenth of Teves	fast day commemorating the date on which the Babylonians laid siege around the walls of Jerusalem before the Destruction of the First *Beis HaMikdash (Siddur, p. 356)
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
Tikkun Leil Shavuos	the series of selections from the Written and Oral Law read and studied during the night-long vigil observed on the first night of *Shavuos
Tishah BeAv	(lit., "the Ninth of Av"): fast commemorating the Destruction of both the First and the Second *Beis HaMikdash
tumah	spiritual uncleanliness
tzaddik (pl., tzaddikim)	(a) completely righteous individual; (b) Rebbe
Tzafun	the stage in the Pesach *Seder at which the *Afikoman is eaten
tzeirei	one of the Heb. vowel signs
tzitzis	see *tallis
unterfirhers	(Yid.): parents or other couple escorting bride and groom to the *chuppah
Vidui	confession (Siddur, p. 61)
yahrzeit	(lit., "annual date"; Yid.): the anniversary of someone's passing, observed by the recitation of *Kaddish, the study of *mishnayos, etc.
yarmulka	(Yid.): skullcap
yechidus	private interview at which a *chassid seeks guidance and enlightenment from his *Rebbe
Yeshayahu	the Book of Isaiah
Yiddishkeit	(lit., "Jewishness"; Yid.): the Torah way of life
Yirmeyahu	the Book of Jeremiah
Yizkor	Prayer for the Souls of the Departed (Siddur, p. 255)
Yoel	the Book of Joel
Yom Kippur	the Day of Atonement, fast day falling on 10 Tishrei and climaxing the Days of Awe
Yom-Tov	a festival
yud	the tenth letter of the Heb. alphabet
Zeroa	the bone that is one of the components of the *Seder plate
Zohar	(lit., "radiance"): classical work containing the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah