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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Five Faiths Project

JUDAISM

Glossary

covenant: a binding agreement made between two parties in which each party has responsibilities. Generally applied to the agreements between God and the Jewish peoples.
halakhah: (Hebrew: ‘he went’) The Jewish Law. The word implies movement, a way, a path. It is used to describe compliance with the Jewish law. The acceptance of this yoke of compliance to the Jewish law is seen by many Jews as a distinctive essence of Judaism.
Hanukkah: (Hebrew: ‘dedication’) Jewish Festival of Lights, an eight-day commemoration of the rededication of the Jewish temple and the survival of the Jewish people. In contemporary American culture, Hanukkah includes the giving of gifts to children. The Hanukkah lamp, or Hanukkiah, is a ritual object used within the Hanukkah celebration. (see Judaism poster)
kedushah: (Hebrew: ‘holiness’) In the biblical commandment, You shall be holy as I am holy, it is this word: kedushah. As with many words, this one has many meanings and implications. Kedushah is applied to certain parts of Jewish services. It also implies an awareness of God’s holiness within the context of human history
Kiddush: (Hebrew: ‘sanctification’) Prayer recited over a cup of wine in order to sanctify the Shabbat. The Kiddush cup is the name given to the cup which holds the wine at the first meal of Shabbat. (see Judaism poster)
Law of Moses: 613 laws revealed to Moses pertaining to all aspects of life; the laws are recorded in the Torah. These laws have been interpreted and analyzed by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The rabbis' writings are recorded in the Talmud.
Midrash: (Hebrew: ‘to demand and to preach’) Midrash has come to be thought of as the additional things read or seen in the sacred texts. It can also be thought of as those things offered “by way of example”
rabbi: (Hebrew: ‘my master’) a learned Jewish man who has received ordination. In contemporary Judaism, the role of rabbi varies greatly from community to community. In Reform congregations, the rabbi performs many functions comparable to a Christian minister, regarded as the spiritual leader of the community. In Orthodox congregations, rabbis may have taken on that role as well, but the rabbi is principally the one who interprets and explains the sacred texts. In modern Israel, rabbis also have a role as jurists, presiding over legal concerns relevant to all aspects of Jewish life.
Rosh HaShanna: (Hebrew) the ten-day, annual observance of the Jewish New Year during which Jews consider their actions and reaffirm their commitment to living a moral life. Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur are the High Holidays of Judaism
Shabbat: (Hebrew) the seventh day of the Jewish week during which Jews may refrain from work, gather with family for ritual meals and attend synagogue for services. The central ritual of Judaism. This ritual commemorates the creation of the world as recorded in the book of Genesis, in the Torah. On the seventh day of creation, God rested. Jews are instructed “to remember the Shabbat” by the fourth of the Ten Commandments. The Shabbat begins on Friday evening and continues through sunset on Saturday. Also called the Sabbath. “More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jews” Ahad ha-‘Am
synagogue: Jewish meeting house and place of worship (refer to Centers for Worship: The Synagogue)
Talmud: second only to the Torah in its importance in Jewish life, the Talmud is a vast literary resource of commentary, interpretations, explanations of the commandments and the law. The Talmud is a compendium of information pertaining to Jewish life, including folklore, manners, prayers, medical remedies. Study of the Talmud is considered by many Jews to be a religious duty.
Ten Commandments: the core commandments revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
Torah: (Hebrew) the sacred text of Judaism, which, along with the Prophets and the Writings, comprises the Hebrew Bible. The Torah was originally written in Hebrew. (refer to Judaism CD, story #4)
Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement: the most important day of the Jewish year. According to Leviticus 16:30, “On this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord.”