Likkutei Sichos Dictionary

Adam Kadmon. Primordial Man:

Abba (Father): Abba is the general partzuf of chochmah ("wisdom"), the first conscious power in the soul.

Abraham: The first Jew and first of the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Acharon shel Pesach: The Last Day of Pesach.

Acharonim: Halachic authorities of the period since the publication of the Shulchan Aruch in the sixteenth century.

Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man; abbr. as Ak): Adam Kadmon is the first partzuf.

Adar: Adar is the twelfth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Admor: Hebrew initials for: Adonenu Morenu VeRabenu (Our master, Our teacher our Rabbi). This is a title commonly used with Chassidic Rebbes. Admor of Ger, Admor of Satmer etc.

Adnut: Adnut is a Holy Name of G-d.

Afula: A town in north-central Israel.

Aggados; The singular Aramaic form is aggad'ta: Non-legal teachings on the non-literal level of interpretation known as derush.

Ahavah ("love"): Ahavah is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of chesed.

Ahavas HaShem: Loving G-d.

Ahavas HaTorah: Loving the Torah.

Ahavas Yisrael: Loving a fellow Jew.

Ahavat Yisrael: Ahavat Yisrael is the love of the people of Israel.

Akeida: Hebrew literally 'binding' Refers to the binding of Yitzchok on the alter.

Akudim ("bound," "striped"): Akudim is the first stage in the development of the world of Atzilut.

Akvah: Akvah is a Holy Name of G-d.

al Kiddish HaShem: Heb. for the sanctification of HaShem. refers to someone who is killed for being a Jew.

Al-bam: Al-bam is a method of alphabetic transformation.

Alef: Alef is the 1st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Alef-beit (the Hebrew alphabet): The Hebrew Alphabet consists of twenty-two letters--eighteen consonants and four letters which serve both as consonants and vowels (alef,hei, vav, yud ). Five letters (kaf, mem, nun, pei, tzadik) take on an additional script-form when positioned at the end of a word.

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

Alma d'isgalya lit., `the world of revelation'; (Aramaic): The spiritual realm in which Divinity is revealed.

Alma d'iskasya lit., `the world of concealment'; (Aramaic): The spiritual realm in which Divinity is concealed.

Alma d'iskasya lit., `the world of concealment'; (Aramaic): The spiritual realm in which Divinity is concealed.

Alsheich: Jewish Biblical commentator Rabbi Moshe Al Sheich

Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi of blessed memory, the first Rebbe of the Chabad Chassidic movement, also known as the Baal HaTanya, the author of the Tanya

Am HaAretz: Hebrew means 'people of the land' and refers to those who are ignorant of the Torah.

Amidah (The "Standing" prayer): The Amidah is the center core and highest point of every prayer service. In the progression of the prayer service it corresponds to the supreme world of Atzilut. It is recited as a silent devotion while standing, feet together, facing Jerusalem. The weekday version consists of nineteen blessings of praise, supplication and thanksgiving to G-d Almighty (is also known as the Shemoneh Esrei). The Sabbath and holiday versions consist of seven blessings, and the version of the Musaf of Rosh HaShanah consistis of nine.

Amora(Amoraim): Rabbis of the period of the Mishnah

Amorah: Biblical city filled with wicked people

Amoraim: Post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the Gemara.

Anash: Lit., “the people with whom we are at peace”; this term is used to refer to other members of one’s Chassidic community

Anavah ("humility"): Unpretensciousness; the third of the four stages in the nullification of the ego

Apikores: Heretic pl. Apikorsim

Apikorsim: Heretics who reject the teachings of the Rabbis

Aramaic: The language in which the talmud is written, also used in many other Jewish texts.

Ari or Arizal :Rabbi Isaac Luria 1534-1572, whose teachings form the core of Kabbalistic doctrine and the basis for understanding the Zohar. Ari Z'L: Hebrew initials of the words: Adoni Rabbenu Yitzchok

Arich Anpin ("The Long Face" or "The Infinitely Patient One"): Arich Anpin is the external partzuf of keter.

Arvit”“ The evening prayer, also known as Maariv, which was established by Yaacov Avinu; it is recited after sundown.

Ashrei the opening word of Psalms; a prayer recited three times a day, consisting of Psalm 145 preceded by two other verses beginning with the word Ashrei and one additional concluding verse.

Ashuritic script is the sacred Hebrew script used in the ritual writing of Torah scrolls as well as Tefilin and mezuzah parchments.

Asiyah (Olam Ha'Asiyah--"The World of Action"): Asiyah the lowest of the four worlds of Creation. Asiyah, the World of; lit., `The World of Action, or Making': the lowest of the Four Worlds.

At-bach is a method of alphabetic transformation.

At-bash is a method of alphabetic transformation.

Atik Yomin ("The Ancient of Days"): Atik Yomin is the inner partzuf of keter,

Atika Kadisha ("The Holy Ancient of One" Aramaic): In some contexts, this term is a synonym for Atik Yomin; in others for keter in general.

Atzilut ("Emanation"): Atzilut is the first and highest of the four worlds of Creation.

Atzmut (G-d's Absolute Essence):

Av is the fifth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Avodah lit., `work' or `service': Divine service, (in Torah usage) particularly through prayer and (in Chassidic usage) through the labor of self-refinement.

Avodas HaTefillah: Lit. “the service of prayer,” prayer at length accompanied by lengthy meditation on Chassidic concepts

Avraham Aveinu: Hebrew name of Abraham

Ayin (Hebrew letter): Ayin is the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Ayin (Nothingness):

Ba'al Shem Tov "Master of the Good Name": Ba'al Shem Tov was the title given to Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer 1698-1760, the founder of Chassidic movement.

Ba'al Shem ("Master of the Name"): Ba'al Shem is a term used to refer to a spiritual healer, especially in Eastern Europe before and during the period of the Ba'al Shem Tov; implies that he healed through the power of the Divine Name of God.

Ba'al Teshuvah ("Returnee"): One who returns to the ways of Judaism and adherence to Jewish law after a period of estrangement. Often used in contrast to a tzadik, who has not undergone such a period. The ba'al teshuvah strives continually to ascend, return and become subsumed within God's essence; thetzadik strives primarily to serve God by doing good deeds and thus drawing His light into the world. Ideally these two paths are meant to be interincluded, i.e. that every Jew should embody both the service of the ba'al teshuvah and that of the tzadik, as well. See also teshuvah.

Bamidbar: Fourth book of the Torah. Called in English Numbers

Bar Mitzvah: Thirteen years old, when a Jewish boy attains religious responsibility.

Baraita ("external material"; pl. baraitot): A Baraita is a Tannaitic tradition or teaching not included in the Mishnah; just as there are 60 tractates of Mishnah, there are according to tradition 80 tractates of Baraita. This is alluded to in the verse from Song of Songs (6:8): "60 are the queens and 80 the concubines." SeeTalmud.

Baruch HaSHem”“ Thank G-d

Basar”“ Meat or flesh

Bashert ("predestined" Yiddish): 1. as an adjective, refers to anything clearly occurring as a result of Divine providence. 2. as a noun, one's predestined soul mate.

Bat-Mitzvah: Feminine of Bar-Mitzvah.

Bava Basra: Tractate of the Talmud

Bava Kama: Tractate of the Talmud

Beauty (tiferet): "Beauty" is the sixth of the ten sefirot, and the third of the emotive attributes within Creation.

bechina (bechinos): a level ; pr a subdivision of a concept bechinos.

Behemot (Behemoth): Behemot is the name of an archetypal beast destined to wage battle against the Leviathan, only to be consumed by the righteous at the end of days; an animal of "dry land" (a symbol for the revealed realm), it symbolizes the category of righteous souls who are revealed as such in this world (and whose essential "occupation" in Torah is in its revealed aspect--the halachah--revealed law).

Beinoni ("Intermediate one"; pl. beinonim): A Beinoni is someone who still possesses an evil urge but controls it and does not sin. There are many levels of beinonim, from the one who is in a continuous conscious state of battle in order to overcome his evil inclination, to the one so engrossed in his Divine service of Torah andmitzvot that he is virtually unaware of the evil inclination dormant in him. Also see tzadik, rasha.

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.

Beis din: Rabbinical court.

Beis HaKnesses: Jewish house of worship

Beis HaMedrash: Jewish house of study

Beis HaMikdash: The (first, second or third) Temple in Jerusalem.

Beit is the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Benoni the intermediate person; between the Tzaddik and the Rasha

Benstch, Bentschen”“ To say the Grace After Meals blessing; this is only said if the meal included enough bread to satiate you.

Beraisa, pl. Beraisos; (Aramaic): Tannaitic statement not included in the Mishnah.

Bereishis: First book of the Torah. Called Genesis in English

Beriah, the World of; lit., `the World of Creation': the second (in descending order) of the Four Worlds.

Berudim (patterned," "speckled"): The third, final stage in the development of the world of Atzilut. Synonymous with the world of Tikun.

Biah ("coming"): An idiom for marital relations.

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.

Bircas HaMazon: The Grace After Meals, recited after eating bread.

Birkat Kohanim consists of the three verses of blessings (for which reason it is called the berachah meshuleshet--"triple blessing"), found in Numbers 6:24-26, which were recited by the kohanim during the Temple service (where God's ineffable Name was enunciated), and later were incorporated into the daily prayers.

Birur ("separation," "choosing," or "refinement"): A birur is a type of tikun in which one must work to separate good from evil in any given entity, and then reject the evil and accept the good. This may be done actively or in one's consciousness. Birur usally refers to the spiritual process of clarifying and redeeming the "fallen sparks" of Divine light which are "dormant" throughout nature.

Bitachon ("confidence" and "trust"): the feeling of confidence in one's God-given power to take initiative and succeed in one's mission in life; the feeling that God will orchestrate events in accord with the greatest revealed good.

Bitul ("self-nullification," "selflessness," or annihilation): 1. Any number of states of selflessness or self-abnegation.<

B'nei Yisrael - the children of Israel, the Jewish people

Bracha (s.), Brachot (pl.)”“ Blessing(s); these are recited before a meal/snack as well as afterward, as well as on various Mitzvoth (such as Tefillin), pleasant smells, and wonders of nature (such as thunder).

Brachos: Tractate of the talmud

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: The Chassidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

Chafifah ("washing"): The cleansing a woman must perform prior to immersion in a mikveh.

Chagat: 1. An acronym for chesed, gevurah, tiferet ("loving-kindness, strength, beauty"); 2. The second triad of sefirot, which together constitute the primary emotions (see Chabad, Nehi).

Chalav”“ Milk

Challah ("Dough"): 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

Chanukah ("Dedication"):

Chanukah: Festival of Lights. Eight day holiday commemorating the repudiation of Greek anti-religious decrees and the subsequent restoration and rededication of the Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the year 165 b.c.e. At least one of the eight days falls on a Sabbath. Usually occurs in December.

Chas V'Shalom: Hebrew for 'G-d forbid'

Chasadim: Plural of chesed (second sense).

Chashmal ("electrum"): Chashmal is a fiery radiance identified in the vision of Ezekiel as surrounding the Divine countenance seated upon the heavenly chariot; interpreted in Chassidic thought as the dynamic of "silent speech."

Chasidism 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

Chassid "pious one" "kind one": An adherent to the teachings of Chassidut; specifically, the follower of a chassidic leader Rebbe.

Chassidim”“ A group in the Jewish world which began in the 1800s by the Baal Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name) in Europe. Since then, this sect of Judaism has taken the Jewish world by storm, as millions of Jewish around the world identify themselves as Chassidim. This sect focuses on serving G-d with the emotions, the study of the hidden aspects of Torah (i.e. Chassidut stemming from Kabbalah, and Kabbalah, herself) and on a Tzaddik (righteous person) or Rebbe to teach us the ideal way to do Mitzvoth in order to better connect to G-d. There are many different types of Chassidim, as each area in Europe had different Rebbes.

Chassidish”“ An adjective for a something that is characteristic of Chassidim.

Chassidus/chassidut ("Piety" or "lovingkindness"also called "Chassidism"): A way of life that goes beyond the letter of the law. Chassidus Chabad: The school of Chassidic thought taught by the Rebbeim of Chabad

Chatoteret ("Hunchback"): Chatoteret is the arch connecting the Hebrew letters vav and zayin into the form of the letter chet.

Chavakuk Habakkuk

Chayah ("The living one): Chayah, is the second highest of the five levels of soul. See soul.

Chayot ("Living beings"): Chayot are the four-winged angels seen by Ezekiel in his vision of the Divine chariot. These angels occupy the world of Yetzirah.

Chayut ("Lifeforce"): Chayut is the essential vitality of the soul.

Chazal: Hebrew initials for: Chochmenu Zichrona Levaracha (Our sages

Chedvah (Joy): Chedvah, from the root chad, meaning "sharp" or "unitary," describes the initial "point" of joy, which as a laser beam pierces through one's hitherto unelated state of consciousness.

chelek Elokah me'mal - 1) the Jewish soul "is an actual portion of God above" (

Cherubim (from the word kruv, which means (from Aramaic) "as a baby"): 1. The first place that the cherubim appear in the Torah is after Adam and Eve are evicted from the Garden of Eden. The cherubim assumed a fearful role at the entrance to the Garden--along with the fiery, turning sword--to ensure that Adam would not re-enter the Garden, eat from the Tree of Life and eternalize the primordial sin. In this context, the cherubim are a type of angel. 2. The Torah refers to two golden (baby-faced) cherubim sculpted atop of the Ark of the Covenant that sat in the Tabernacle's inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies. In dictating their design and arrangement, God tells Moses: "and their faces, each toward the other lit., (like) a man toward his brother." While the Holy Ark contains the Torah--God's eternal wisdom--His voice and ongoing directives emanate from between the joined wingtips of the two cherubim, who symbolize the consummate love of delights between God and the people of Israel. By appearing as male and female, the cherubim alluded to the Kabbalistic identification of transmitter and receiver as the male and female forces operating within reality.

Chesed Chinum: ("undeserved chesed").

Chesed ("Lovingkindness"): Chesed is the fourth of the ten sefirot, and the first of the emotive attributes within Creation.

Cheshvon: Eighth month of the hebrew calender

Chet is the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Chilufei Otiyot (interchanging of letters): The term chilufei otiyot (lit. "the interchanging of letters") refers to any one of the alphabetic transformation systems described in the Kabbalah. Each system by itself is referred to as an alef-beit. In Sefer Yetzirah, 22 such alef-beits are described (as the logically ordered basis of all the two-letter subroots of the Hebrew language; see Rela she?arim). The six most common transformation systems are: Al-bam,At-bash, Ach-bi, Ayik-becher, Achas-beta, and At-bach.

Chitas: An acronym for Chumash (the five books of Moses),Tehillim (Psalms), and the Tanya of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The Previous Rebbe instructed that everyone learn a daily portion of each Chumash and Tanya and recite a daily portion of Tehillim

Chocham(Chochomim): Hebrew for 'sage' or scholar

Chochmah; lit., `wisdom': the first of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; the first stage of the intellectual process (cf. Chabad); reason in potentia.

Chossid (pl. chassidim): Disciple(s) of a Rebbe

Chozeh: Hebrew for seer (prophet). Rebbe Yakov Yitzchok of Lublin was called the Chozeh because Ruach HaKodesh.

Chukos: Weekly portion where the Torah is read from Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1-22:1

Chumash the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch)

Chupah ("canopy"): The canopy under which the Jewish wedding ceremony takes place.

Chutz (khootz) L’Aretz”“ Outside of Israel

Chutzpah: Insolence.

Cohen ("priest"; pl, Cohanim): See Kohen

Confidence (bitachon): "Confidence" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of netzach.

Crown (keter): "Crown" is the first of the ten sefirot.

Cubit: Cubit is a unit of measure, variously identified as equivalent to 48 or 60 centimeters.

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). 1. Da?at is the third and last conscious power of intellect in Creation, counted as one of the ten sefirot when keter, the superconscious, is not counted. 2. the unifying force within the ten sefirot

Dalet is the 4th of the Hebrew alphabet.

Davven: to pray; Davvenen: prayer

Days of Awe: The days around the holidays of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, so called because they are days of judgement.

Derush: The non-literal, homiletic interpretation of Scripture, as in the Midrash or Talmudic Aggados.

Devarim Deuteronomy

Deveikut is a state of union wherein two parties lose awareness of themselves as separate entities and experience themselves as one undifferentiated essence. Deveikut may occur both between the soul and G-d, as it is written, "and you who cling unto G-d your G-d?" (Deuteronomy 4:4) and between husband and wife, as it is written, "?and cling unto his wife" (Genesis 2:24).

Devorim: Fifth book of the Torah. Called in English 'Deuteronomy'.

Din Judgment - plural dinim 1. a synonym for gevurah. 2. (pl. dinim, "judgements") a manifestation of this attribute.

Divrei HaYamim Chronicles

Drash: A method of Biblical interpretation ascribing moral or ethical meaning to verses in the Torah.

Echad ("One"): Echad means unity as it expresses itself in the totality of being.

Eichah: The Hebrew name for the book of Lamantations

Ein Sof: Without limit; term denoting G-d - the Infinite, unknowable and undefineable; See also Or Ein Sof.

Ekyeh: A Holy Name of G-d.

Eliyahu HaNavi: Hebrew for the prophet Elijah

Elokah: A Holy Name of G-d.

Elokim: A Holy Name of G-d.

Elul: The sixth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Elul: Sixth month of the Jewish year

Emet ("truth"): Emet is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of yesod.

Emunah ("faith"): 1. Emunah is the spiritual state associated with the inner experience of the highest of the three "heads" of keter, the riesha dlo ityada("unknowable head"). 2. the belief that no matter what G-d does, it is all ultimately for the greatest good, even if it does not appear so to us presently. See bitachon.

Eretz Yisrael: the Land of Israel.

Erev...; lit., `evening': The eve of shabbat or a festival.

Eruv: A legal act that causes different residences to be considered as one.

Etrog ("the citron fruit"): The Etrog is one of the four species taken up on the holiday of Sukkot. See Lulav.

Etz Chaim ("The Tree of Life"): Etz Chaim is a key symbol in the Kabbalah for the unfolding structure of reality.

Etzem v'hitpashtut one of two fundamental dynamics in Creation, implying the extension of Divine energy and lifeforce from its source (etzem) into the domain of Creation (see he'elem v'gilui).

Etzem: An entity which is one integral essence.

Faith (Emunah): "Faith" is the spiritual state associated with the inner experience of the highest of the three "heads" of keter, the riesha dlo ityada("unknowable head").

Farbrengen (v. to farbreng): A Chabad Chassidic gathering, for the purpose of inspiring the participants to greater love of Hashem, of their fellow Jew, and of Torah, according to the guidance of Chabad Chassidus

Fear (yirah): "Fear" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of gevurah.

Foundation (Yesod): "Foundation" is the ninth of the ten sefirot, and the sixth of the emotive attributes.

gabbai: Hebrew for an attendant

Galus/Galut - exile,Diaspora

Gaon is the title of the sages who lived during the post-Talmudic period (roughly 7th to 11th centuries). This period is thus known as the "Gaonic" period. title of one who is an especially learned schola

Gashmius - materialism, physical needs

Gedulah ("greatness"): A synonym for chesed.

Gehennom/Gehenna - "hell"

Gemara; (Aramaic): Interpretations and explanations of the Mishnah; see Talmud.

Gematria is a system for calculating the numerical equivalence of letters, words, and phrases. This system is used for the purpose of gaining insight into interrelating concepts.

Ger Toshiv: A 'partial' convert who agrees not to worship idols

Gerah: A gerah is a type of coin, equivalent to approximately 0.64 gram of silver.

Geulah: Redemption.

Gevaldic”“ Adj. Amazing

Gevalt”“ noun. An amazing thing

Gevurah; "Might" is the fifth of the ten sefirot, and second of the emotive attributes in Creation.

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.

Gevurot: (plural of gevurah):

Gezaira - decree

Gezeilah - robbery, theft

Gezerah Shavah ("equal category"): Gezerah Shavah is one of the thirteen hermeneutical methods of the Torah, in which two concepts or cases are compared on the basis of terminology common to both.

Gilgul - plural gilgulim - incarnation in a particular lifetime

Gimmel Tammuz: The 3rd day of the month of Tammuz, the day of the Histalkus of the Rebbe

Gimmel is one of the 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Gitten: Tractate of the Talmud

God's "good Name" refers in particular to the Name Akvah whose numerical value is equal to 17, tov ("good"). This Name is associated in Kabbalah with the Divine power to "unite heaven and earth" (for it first appears in the opening verse of Creation as the initial letters of et hashamayim v'et ha'aretz-- "the heavens and the earth"), the power to connect the spiritual realm to its physical counterpart and thereby heal all physical ailments.

Golah: Exile; Diaspora.

Gonif - thief

Gulgalta ("the skull" Aramaic): Gulgalta is the keter of Arich Anpin. In psychological terms, the interface between pleasure and will, which serves as the origin of the super-conscious will.

hadlakas haner the lighting of candles in honor of Shabbos or Yom-Tov

Haftorah "conclusion": The Haftorah is the reading from the Prophets concluding the recitation of the Sabbath or festival Torah-portion.

Haggadah: Text recited at the Passover Seder, recounting the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt over 3000 years ago.

Hakafot are the processions around the bimah in the synagogue, conducted on Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah while holding either the Torah-scroll or the four species.

HaKohen: Hebrew for 'the Priest' refers to someone who is a direct paternal descendant from Aaron in the Torah

Halachah "The way" or "walking": Halachah is a general word referring to the entire system of Jewish law and ritual practice; plural halachot.

Haneirot Halalu ("These Lamps"): Haneirot Halalu is a liturgy recited after the kindling of the Chanukah lights.

Har Sinai”“ Mount Sinai

HaRav HaKodesh: The Holy Rov (see Rov).

HaShem: Noun used in place of G-d. Lit. The Name

Hashgochah Pratis””Divine providence

Hashkafa - tracks of thinking in Jewish philosophy, usually refering to differences in sects or religious sub-group approaches to orthodox religious Jewish life.

Havayah: A Holy Name of G-d.

He'elem v'gilui (Concealment and revelation): He'elem v'gilui are one of two fundamental dialectics in Creation (see Etzem v'hitpashtut); the underlying dynamic of Divine emanation in the world of Atzilut.

Hefsek Taharah ("cessation of bleeding, indicating purity") A Hefsek Taharah is an examination through which a woman determines that her menstrual bleeding has ceased.

Hei is the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Hisbodedus: A form of verbal meditation, conducted in one's mother tongue, as a personal and private conversation with G-d. Rebbe Nachman stressed this practice greatly and said that it is the highest of all religious practices.

Hiskashrus: Bond with the Rebbe, established by studying his teachings and following his directives

Histalkus: Passing of a Tzaddik, especially one who taught mystical secrets (“penimiyus haTorah”)

Hisvaaduyos: The Rebbe’s unedited public addresses

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. Hoshanah Rabbah: Last day of the intermediate days of Succos. It is

HY'D: Heb. HaShem Yimkom Domov: HaShem should avenge their blood.

Ikvesa DiMeshicha; also Ikvos Meshicha; (Aramaic): the generation that can hear the approaching 'footsteps' of Mashiach.

Iluy: genius

Imma Ila'ah (the higher mother): Imma Ila'ah is the higher of the two primary partzufim which develop from the sefirah of binah.

In velt, oys velt ("In the world, outside the world"): In velt, oys velt is a Yiddish phrase conveying the Chassidic ideal of being grounded on the physical plane of reality while simultaneously maintaining a spiritual consciousness which transcends the confines of the material realm.

Inyan: A spiritual concept or idea. A general idea as opposed to

Isaiah: First of the three major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. One of the 24 Books of the Bible. Isaiah is renowned for its message of consolation and hope and its vivid portrayal of the glory of the Messianic Era.

Iskafya: Isolation; Self-restraint in order to subdue the animal soul

Israel is an additional name given the patriarch Jacob and, by extension, the entire Jewish People.

Israelite is a Jew who is neither a Kohen (priest) nor a Levi (Levite).

Ivdah: A story that shows or teaches a specific method of serving HaShem

Iyar: Iyar is the second of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Jewish Calendar: Consists of twelve or thirteen lunar months, intercalculated with the Solar Calendar through a 19 year cycle .

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.

Kabbalat Shabbat ("welcoming the Sabbath"): The series of psalms and hymns, etc. recited as a prelude to the Friday night prayer service, to mark the onset of the Sabbath.

Kabbalist: Expert in Torah mysticism.

Kaddish : The Kaddish is a prayer sanctifying G-d's Name which is used to signal passage from one stage to another of the prayer service, and is also said for the deceased.

Kaddish is a prayer sanctifying G-d's Name which is used to signal passage from one stage to another of the liturgy.

Kaf is the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Kah (Yud Hei): A Holy Name 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.

Kal veChomer: One of the thirteen hermeneutical methods, in which conclusions are reached by reasoning a fortiori.

kashrus the state of being kosher, i.e., ritually valid or fit for use Kashruth, Kashrus”“ The laws of keeping Kosher, which basically stem from the main commandment to not cook a lamb in its mother’s milk. From this the sages derived the complex laws of separating milk and meat.

Kav ("line"): The ray of light beamed into the vacated space created in consequence of the tzimtzum.

Kavanah: Hebrew word for 'intention'. Kavanot: (plural of kavanah). 1. the intention or ideas with which one meditatively imbues his actions. 2. a specific idea so used.

Kedushah - holiness

Kehunah (The "Priesthood"): (See Kohen).

Keilim Vessels: See sefirah.

Kel: A Holy Name of G-d.

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.

Keter ("Crown"): Keter is the first of the ten sefirot.

Ketubah ("written"): The Jewish marriage contract.

Ketz; lit., `end': A particularly auspicious time for Mashiach to bring the exile to an end.

Kiddush: "Sanctification": Kiddush is the ritual performed on the Sabbath and festival days, consisting of a liturgical text recited over a full cup of wine which is then drunk.

Kingdom (Malchut): "Kingdom" is the last of the ten sefirot, and seventh of the emotive attributes in Creation.

Kipah: A Kipah is a skullcap worn by Jewish males.

Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Kittel ("small coat"): A white linen robe worn on Yom Kippur.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: The Code of Jewish Law as abbreviated by R. Shlomo Ganzfried for lay use.

Knowledge (Da'at): "Knowledge" is the third and last conscious power of intellect in Creation.

Kochos makkifim: The transcendent faculties of the soul.

Kochos pnimiyim: The internalized, conscious faculties of the soul.

Koheles: One of the books of the Tenach, called in English Ecclesiastes.

Kohen Gadol: High priest.

Kohen "Priest"; pl. kohanim: a descendant of Aaron the High Priest brother of Moses. kohen is a descendant of Aaron the High Priest (brother of Moses), whose role is to officiate at the various rites performed in the Temple.

Kol Nidrei: First prayer of Yom KIppur

Kosher "fit," used of anything in the sense of "proper" or "good." 2. Iin reference to food, used to mean complying with the requirements of Jewish dietary laws.

Kosher "fit" or "proper": used of anything in the sense of "proper" or "good." - in reference to food, used to mean complying with the requirements of Jewish dietary laws

Kuf is the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Kushia; popularly pronounced Kashe; (Aramaic): A query posed in the course of clarifying a seeming inconsistency, logical or textual, encountered in one's Torah study.

Lamed-vavnik (Yiddish): One of the thirty-six tzadikim in every generation in whose merit the world exists.

Lamed-vavnik (Yiddish): One of the thirty-six tzadikim in every generation in whose merit the world exists.

Lecha Dodi ("Come, my beloved"): A hymn recited as part of Kabbalat Shabbat.

Leckach (yid) sweet cake (honey cake)

Levaya - funeral

Levi ("Levite"; pl. Leviim): A Levi is a descendant of Levi, the son of Jacob (excluding the priestly descendants of Aaron), whose role was to assist the Kohen in the Temple.

Leviathan: Leviathan is the name of an archetypal sea-creature, which is destined to wage battle against the Behemoth, only to be consumed by the righteous at the end of days; an animal of "the sea" (a symbol for the concealed realm), it symbolizes the category of righteous souls who are concealed in this world (and whose essential "occupation" in Torah is in its concealed aspect, the Kabbalah--esoteric tradition). (SeeBehemoth, as well as tzadik nistar).

Levush (Garment; pl. levushim): Levush is one of the three primary "expressions" of the inner powers (the enclothed "limbs") of the soul (or "supernal sefirot")--thought, speech and action. While the inner powers of the soul are seen to correspond to the sefirot in the world of Atzilut, the three "garments" of thought, speech and action are understood to correspond to the three lower worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah--respectively.

Lights: See sefirah.

Love (Ahavah): "Love" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of chesed.

Lovingkindness (Chesed): "Lovingkindness" is the fourth of the ten sefirot, and the first of the emotive attributes within Creation.

Lowliness (shiflut): "Lowliness" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of malchut.

Lubavitch lit., `town of love'; Russian: Townlet in White Russia which from 1813-1915 was the center of Chabad Chassidism, and whose name has remained a synonym for it.

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tamuz 1994), was the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty. The Rebbe is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th century, a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah. He was admired and respected worldwide, by both Jews and non-Jews alike. The Rebbes fluency in many languages and his expertise in all facets of human experience -- from the spiritual and emotional to the scientific and technological -- drew tens of thousands from throughout the world to consult with him at his New York headquarters. With his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet, the Rebbe sent thousands of emissaries around the globe, dedicated to strengthening Judaism in the four corners of the earth.

Lubavitcher: 1. someone from the town of Lubavitch. 2. someone or something belonging to or of the Chabad movement.

Lulav ("palm branch"): A Lulav is one of the four species taken up and ritually shaken on the holiday of Sukkot. It is bound up with two other species--the hadas("myrtle branch") and the aravah ("willow branch"). These species are held together with the Etrog during the performance of the ritual.

Luria, Rabbi Isaac: See Ari.

Maamar, pl. Maamarim; lit., `word' or `written article': In Chabad circles means a formal chassidic discourse first delivered by a Rebbe.

Maariv”“ Also known as Arvit; the evening prayer established by Yaacov Avinu

Maaser”“ tithing; to give a tenth of one’s earnings to the needy or organizations is a fulfillment of a positive Commandment

Machzor”“ A prayer book including only the prayers necessary for a specific Holiday with very involved prayer services, such as Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur

Maggid - preacher. Many of the first Rebbes was Maggidim (pl. of Maggid).

Maggid of Mezerich ("The Preacher of Mezerich"): Rabbi Dov Ber disiple of the Ba'al Shem Tov, and mentor of the Alter Rebbe.

MaHarsha: Hebrew initials for : Moreinu HaRav Shmuel Eliezer (our teacher Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer) a famous Talmud commentator

Maimonides. (Rambam): See Rambam

Makkif: The transcendent dimension of the soul that is not consciously vested in the body.

Malach”“ An angel

Malachi: One of the books of the Tenach.

Malchus; lit., `sovereignty': The last of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions. Malchut is the last of the ten sefirot, and seventh of the emotive attributes in Creation.

Mashiach (or spelled Moshiach "Anointed One," or "Messiah"): a human being, the descendant of King David--Mashiach ben Dovid--who will gather the exiled Jewish People and bring them all back to Israel, rebuild the Holy Temple, inspire the whole world to believe in one God, and usher in an era of all human beings living together in peace and brotherhood.

Mashpia: A spiritual mentor for a Chabad chossid

Matzah; pl., Matzos: Unleavened bread eaten on Pesach.

Mazal Tov "A good sign": an expression of congratulations for the good fortune bestowed upon one from heaven.

Mazal ("sign," plural mazalot): a spiritual conduit of Divine beneficence; the 12 constellations of the zodiac.

Mefarshim: Rabbinic writings

Megilla: Tractate of the Talmud

Melacha, Melachot”“ The 39 types of work related to the building of the Tabernacle, which are forbidden for Jews to take part in on the Sabbath.

Melachim Kings

Melaveh Malkah "escorting the Queen": A meal or celebration held at the end of Shabbat (Shabbat being "the Queen".

Melech”“ King

Mem is the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Menorah: The Menorah is the seven-branched candelabrum that was lit daily in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle and, afterwards, in the Holy Temple. Also employed in reference to the eight-branched candelabrum used in the Jewish home to hold the Chanukah lights.

Mensch”“ Literally translated as “man,” this word connotes a person or one who is a decent individual.

Menuchos: Tractate of the Talmud

Mercy (rachamim): "Mercy" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of tiferet.

mesiros nefesh: Hebrew for self sacrifice

Mesoarh is the transmitted traditions which comprise the basis of Jewish law; also, specific traditions regarding the exact text of the Written Torah.

Mesorah Torah law Kabbalah ("received tradition"): the body of classical Jewish mystical teachings

Metzitzah ("sucking"): The third phase of the rite of circumcision (milah) in which the one performing the circumcision sucks the blood off the just-circumcised organ. See milah, periah.

Mezuzah; pl., Mezuzos: Small parchment scroll written by a Sofer (scribe) and affixed to the doorpost, containing the first two paragraphs of Shema (Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:-9 & 11:13-21).

Michah Micah

Midah ("measure" or "attribute"): midah(midos): A character trait, either good or bad. Midot: (plural of midah). 1. an attribute of God. 2. specifically, one of the sefirot from chesed to malchut, in contrast to the higher sefirot of the intellect. 3. one of the thirteen attributes of mercy, which are part of the revelation of keter.

Midda k'neged midda - measure for measure

Midrash plural Midrashim: the second major body of the oral Torah (after the Talmud), consisting of halachic or homiletic material couched as linguistic analyses of the Biblical text. An individual text of midrashic material is also called a Midrash. A corpus of many works written over the span of many centuries roughly the second to the eighth CE, mostly in the Holy Land. Midrash: one of the classical collections of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of derush.

Mikveh "a gathering of water": Either a natural body of water or a specially-constructed pool used for ritual purification rites. See tumah and taharah.

Mil. A Mil is a measure of distance, equivalent to approximately 1.087 kilometers.

Milah ("circumcision"): 1. the rite of circumcision, performed on a Jewish boy on the eighth day after his birth. 2. specifically, the first phase of this rite in which the foreskin is cut. See metzizah, periah.

Minchah ("offering"): The afternoon prayer service, which was established by Yitchak (Isaac) Avinu. 2. A type of offering in Temple times

minyan a. quorum of at least ten adult males assembled for prayer or other mitzvah; b. place of public prayer; shul

Mishkan: The Tabernacle, i.e., the temporary Sanctuary in the wilderness; see Shmos (Exodus) chapter 25ff.

Mishlei Proverbs

Mishnah "Repetition": The Mishnah is a six part review of Jewish law compiled in the 2nd century, which served as the focus of Talmudic interpretation; also a single passage of that work.

Mishnah Torah ("Repetition of the Torah "): The Mishnah Torah is the Rambam's systematization of the Oral Torah .

Mispallel To pray for

Mitzrayim: Hebrew name for the land of Egypt

mitzvah (pl., mitzvos) a religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments 2. one of the seven commandments instituted by the sages.

M'malai kol almin the immanent Divine energy that vitalizes all elements within Creation and is thus accessible to conscious thought.

Mocha Stima'ah ("the hidden brain" Aramaic): The chochmah of Arich Anpin. In psychological terms, the power to generate new insight.

Mochin d'Ima ("brains of Imma" Aramaic): A state of consciousness or mentality, or cognitive life-force in which one experiences binah, or understanding or rationality.

Modeh Ani ("I Acknowledge"). Modeh Ani is the name of a thanksgiving prayer recited upon awakening each morning.

Molad ("time of birth"): The time when the moon begins its monthly cycle.

Mori: Hebrew for my teacher.

Moshe Rabbeinu: Hebrew for Moses our teacher. A common Jewish way of referring to Moses.

Motzaei Shabbos, etc. evening on which a * Shabbos or * Yom-Tov ends

Mum: A mum is a blemish, particularly in regard to priests and animals designated for ritual sacrifice.

Musaf the additional prayer service recited on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Yom Tov.

Mussar (“rebuke”)””a movement of Judaism that encourages people to study ethics and morals and to improve character.

Naasei ve Nishma We will do and we will hear - deed before understanding

Nachamu ("console"): 1. Tthe haftarah recited on the Shabbat following Tishah b'Av, so called after the first word of the passage recited (Isaiah 40:1-26). 2. The Shabbat on which this haftarah is recited.

Nachmanides: See Ramban.

Naram 1) Nefesh ("creature" -- the lower soul) relates to behavior and action. 2) Ruach ("spirit") relates to the emotions. 3) Neshamah ("inner soul") relates to the mind and intelligence. 4) Chayah ("living one") relates to the bridge between the first flash of conscious insight and its super-conscious origin. Experiencing awareness of God as continually crating the world. 5) Yecidah ("single one") relates to the ultimate unity of the soul in God, as manifest by pure faith, absolute devotion and the continuous readiness to sacrifice one's life for God.

nashama: Hebrew word for soul.

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.

Nasi HaDor “Leader of the generation”””the Tzaddik of the generation

Nazir: One who sets himself apart for divine service by undertaking certain ascetic restrictions; cf. Bamidbar (Numbers) 6:1-21.

Nefesh Elokis - G-dly Soul of a person

Nefesh HaBehamis - Animalistic Soul of a person

Nefesh ("creature." "soul"): 1. Nefesh is the particular name of the lowest in the five levels of soul described in Kabbalah, associated with physical vitality. 2. The soul in general. See soul.

Nehi: Neila is the final prayer service recited on Yom Kippur prior to the "locking of the gates of prayer." 1. An acronym for netzach, hod, yesod ("victory, splendor, foundation") 2. The third triad of sefirot, which together constitute the attributes of behavior (see Chabad, Chagat).

Neilah ("Locking"): Thw concludimg prayer service of Yom Kippur

Nekudah ("point"): Nekudah is the Kabbalistic referent for an undeveloped and instable element of reality.

Nekudim ("dotted," "spotted"): The second stage in the development of the world of Atzilut.

Nes - miracle

Neshama - the breath of life that G-d breathed into the first man; the third of the five levels of soul, also a collective name for the soul.

Nesirah ("sawing off"): Nesirah is the process of separating Adam and Eve (who were initially created connected back to back) or their spiritual antecedents, Z'eir Anpin and Nukvei d'Z'eir Anpin, in order that they may unite as a couple.

Netzach; lit., `eternity; conquest; victory': The fourth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions.

Niggun, pl. Niggunim: Melody, usually wordless, especially one figuring in divine service.

Nigleh; lit., `revealed': The revealed levels of the Torah (e.g., Talmud and Halachah); in contrast to nistar.

Nisayon - a test, trial

Nissan: The first of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Nistalek - ascended to the upper world, passed from this world

Nistar; lit., `hidden': The mystical levels of the Torah (e.g., Kabbalah and Chassidus); in contrast to nigleh.

Notrikun ("acronym"): Notrikun is a method of interpretation in which a word is seen as comprising the initials or main consonantal letters of another word or phrase.

Nukvah d'Ze'ir Anpin ("The female of Ze'ir Anpin"). Nukvah d'Ze'ir Anpin is the partzuf of malchut.

Nun: Nun is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Ofanim ("the wheels"): Ofanim are the spiritual forces (angels) envisioned by Ezekiel as the wheels of the Divine chariot; the angels occupying the world of Asiyah.

O'H: Hebrew initials for the words: Olav HaShalom (may he rest in peace)

Olam World

Olam Haba ("The World to Come"): The Sages distinguish between two phases of redemption: 1) Yemot Hamashiach ("messianic era") when the present laws of nature will still apply.

Olam Hamalbush ("The World of the Garment"): Olam Hamalbush is a figurative idiom, used by several disciples of the Arizal, to refer to the Divine "superplan" for all Creation before thetzimtzum of G-d's infinite light. In the Zohar, this level is alluded to in the phrase: "He engraved an engravement in the higher brilliance." InChassidut this is elucidated by the phrase: "He conceived within Himself in potentia all that was destined to become actual."

Olamot (Worlds): Olamot are the four primary realms of Creation that emerge out of G-d?s infinite light and culminate in our finite physical universe.

Omer is a dry measure mentioned in the Torah; the measure of barley brought as an offering on the second day of Pesach, after which the grain of the new harvest is permitted to be eaten; the 49 day period of counting from the time of this offering until the festival of Shavuot. SeeSefirat HaOmer

Onah ("time"): 1. A season or a period of time, a full night or full day. 2. The obligation of the husband to fulfill his wife's conjugal rights.

Or Ein Sof: The infinite creative and enlightening emanation that radiates from the Infinite One. 'Light' is used in Kabbalistic and Chassidic literature as a metaphor for the manifestations of the Essence of G-d. Light, though only a reflection of its source, is also Infinite; See also Ein Sof.

Or HaChaim: Jewish Torah commentary

Or la'goyim ("A light unto the nations"): In Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 49:6) Israel is called a "light unto the nations. For it is the primary responsibility of the Jewish people to bring the world to perfect peace, brotherhood, and harmony. A future without war, hunger or strife.

Or makif karov ("close surrounding consciousness"): Or makif karov is the general level of consciousness corresponding to the chayah of the soul.

Or makif rachok ("distant surrounding consciousness"): Or makif rachok is the general level of consciousness corresponding to the yechidah of the soul.

Or pnimi ("inner consciousness"): Or pnimi is the The general level of consciousnes corresponding to the three lower levels of the soul.

Or yashar ("Straight Light"): Or yashar is the Divine energy emanating from G-d in the direction of His Creation.

Or ("light"): Or is commonly used metaphor for the Divine energy that generates and sustains the universe. Ma'or, Ziv, He'arah

Or chozer ("Returning Light"): Or chozer is a reverberation of spiritual energy emanating from Creation in the direction of the Creator; a response to Or yashar.

Orach Chaim: On of 4 sections of the Shulchan Aruch. This deals with the laws that apply to each person on a daily basis, throughout the year.

Orlah ("foreskin"): 1. The Torah commands us to circumcise the foreskin of a male child when he is eight days old. There are two stages to the circumcision process: See milah. 2. When the Jewish People plant fruit trees in the Land of Israel, the fruits of those trees are forbidden for the first three years, and are referred to as orlah, literally "foreskin." In the fourth year, the fruits must be brought up to Jerusalem, where they are eaten in purity and with praise of God. Only in the fifth year may the fruits be eaten freely in any location. God promises that if this commandment is kept, He will shower abundance upon the Jewish People. These laws are discussed in the weekly Torah portion of Kedoshim. Learn about the deeper meaning of orlah.

Parashah ("section"; pl. parshiot): 1. A parashah is a paragraph in the written Torah according to the Masoretic text. These parshiot are either "open" (followed by a blank space which extends to the end of the line) or "closed" (followed by a blank space equal to the width of nine letters). 2. A parashah is also a sidrah ("order"): one of the fifty-four sections into which the Five Books of Moses are divided for the purpose of reading one of them in the synagogue each Shabbat. Thus, the entire Torah is read in full in the course of a year (it is sometimes necessary to read two on the same Sabbath). The parshiot are known by one or two of their opening words.

Pardes [“orchard”[ - acronym for four levels of Torah study Pardes is an acronym for the four levels of interpreting a Torah text: "peshat," the simple meaning of the text; "remez," the hints and allusions within the text; "derush," the derivative implications of the text arrived at by way of hermeneutic rules; and sod, the symbolic and esoteric meaning of the text.

Parsah is a measure of distance equivalent to approximately 4.348 kilometers.

Parshah, pl. Parshiyos: Portion of the Torah read publicly each week.

Parshas... the Parshah of [a certain Shabbos or festive occasion] portion of the Torah read publicly each week

Partzuf ("personae" or "profile"; pl. partzufim): A partzuf is the third and final stage in the development of a sefirah, in which it metamorphoses from a tenfold articulation of sub-sefirot into a human-like figure possessing the full set of intellectual and emotional powers. As such, it may thus interact with the other partzufim (which could not occur before this transformation). This stage of development constitutes the transition from Tohu to Tikun or from Nekudim toBerudim, (also see: Olam Ha'Atzilut, "The World of Emanation").

Passover Seder: The ceremonial meal on the first two nights of Passover.

Passover: First of the three major annual Jewish Festivals. Celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage over 3000 years ago. Usually occurs in April.

payyut: A type of prayer similar to a poem said on Jewish holidays

Peah: Tractate of the Mishnah

Pei is the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Perek Shirah ["The Chapter of Song"]: Perek Shirah is a Midrash composed of the various verses sung by each element in Creation.

Periah ("peel back"): Periah is the second phase of the rite of circumcision, in which the membrane is peeled back after the foreskin has been cut off. Seemetzitzah, milah.

Pesach ("Passover"): Pesach is the seven-day festival (eight days in the Diaspora) commemorating the liberation of the Jewish People from Egyptian slavery.

Pesach Sheini ("Second Passover"): The festival of the Second Passover (Pesach Sheini) on the fourteenth day of the month. Normally, the Torah tells us to celebrate Passover on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the month before Iyar. But a person ritually impure or too far away from the Temple on the fourteenth of Nisan--and therefore unable to celebrate Passover by bringing a sacrifice to the Temple on that

Pesachim: One of the Tractates of the Talmud

peshat: A method of Biblical interpretation based on finding the simple meaning in the Torah.

Pilishtim: Hebrew for Philistines

pilpul (pilpulim): Method of learning which involves hair-splitting logic.

Pirkei Avot ["Chapters of the Fathers"]: the popular name for the Mishnaic collection referred to as Avot [Fathers] containing statements of ethical wisdom conveyed by various Talmudic Sages.

Pleasure (Ta'anug): "Pleasure" is the spiritual state associated in particular with the second head of the keter.

pnimiyus the innermost, mystical dimension of the Torah, concept or deed

Pnimiyus HaTorah: The innermost, mystical dimension of the Torah; cf. nistar.

Posek, pl. Poskim: Decisors; Rabbis whose legal decisions are authoritative.

Proverbs: One of three Biblical books composed by King Solomon (Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) and compiled by King Chizkiyahu and his School. Contains profound advice from the wisest man who ever lived.

Pruta: The smallest halachically valid coin. Equal in value to one-fortieth of a gram of silver. Today approximately one U.S. penny.

Pshat: The plain meaning (e.g.) of a Scriptural passage.

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.

pushke (Yid.): box [for charity] Rebbe (common Yid. pronunciation of "my teacher [or master]"): tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim

Rabbi Akiva: Famous Talmudic Sage, who is buried in Tiberias.

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai: Famous Talmudic Sage and compiler of Zohar. Known as Rashbi.

Rabbi Yisroel Ba'al Shem Tov: Founder of Chassidus, who lived from 1698 to 1760.

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria: The great Kabbalist, known as the Arizal, who lived from 1534 to 1572. He is buried in Tzefat.

Rachamim (mercy): Rachamim is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of tiferet.

Rambam ("Maimonides"). Rambam is an acronym for "Rabbi Moses ben Maimon" (1135-1204). He was a famous 12th century scholar, philosopher and physician, best known for his 14 part compendium of Jewish law--Mishnah Torah.

Ramban ("Nachmanides"): Ramban is an acronym for "Rabbi Moses ben Nachman," famous scholar and philosopher (1194-1270).

Rasha - wicked person Rasha, pl. Resha'im: Opposite of tzaddik.

Rasha is a one who succumbs to his urge to do evil and commits a sin. He retains this status until he does teshuvah, at which point he becomes a ba'al teshuvah.

Rashi: The primary commentary on the Tenach.

Ratzon ("Will"):

Ratzon is the spiritual state associated with the lowest of the three heads of Keter.

Rav, pl. Rabbanim: Rabbi, Torah teacher.

Reb: A title added to a persons name as a sign of respect.

Rebbe, pl. Rebbeim: `My teacher [or master]'; Tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim; see also Chassidus.

Rebbitzin (Yid.): wife of a rav or Rebbe Rosh HaShanah (lit., "head of the year"): the New Year festival, falling on [1] and [2] Tishrei

Reish is the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Reisha d'Arich is the lowest of the three "heads" of keter, synonymous with the partzuf of Arich Anpin. In psychological terms, super-conscious will.

Reisha d'Ayin ("the head of nothingness" Aramaic): Reisha d'Ayin is the middle of the three "heads" of keter, related to the emotions of the partzuf of Atik Yomin. In psychological terms, super-conscious pleasure.

Reisha d'lo Ityada (Aramaic): Reisha d'lo Ityada is the highest of the three "heads" of keter, related to the keter and intellect of the partzuf of Atik Yomin. In psychological terms, super-conscious belief in G-d.

Reishis Chochma: "The Beginning of Wisdom". A book teaching Fear of G-d.

Rela Shearim ("231 Gates"): Rela Shearim are the 231 possible two (non-identical) letter combinations generated by the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Remez - “illusionary” interpretation of the Torah; third highest level of Pardes remez: A method of Biblical interpretation based on finding hints Remez: The interpretation of Scripture at the level of allusive implication.

Reshimu ("Impression"): Reshimu is the residual impression of the infinite Divine light that G-d "withdrew" from Creation through the process of tzimtzum.

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-16th century).

Rishonim - leading rabbis, deciders of Jewish law, living from 1050 - 1500.

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 in the Jewish calendar.

Rosh HaShanah; lit., `head of the year': The solemn Jewish New Year Festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei.

Rov (pl. Rabbonim): The rabbi of a community, who is a halachic expert

Ruach Hakodesh - "the holy spirit" - knowledge of the future through means of kedushah (holiness) - Divine inspiration

Ruach - spirit, wind, air, breath - the second of the five levels of the soul

Ruach ("Spirit"): Ruach is the second of the five levels of soul, associated with the vitality of one's emotional life. See soul.

Ruchnius - spirituality

Ruth and Naomi: Ruth, a Moabitess princess, embraced the Jewish Faith and married into the family of Naomi, a leading woman from the Tribe of Judah. She became the great-grandmother of King David. Her story is recorded in the Book of Ruth.

Sabbath: See Shabbat.

Safra d'Tzniuta ("The Book of Modesty"): Safra d'Tzniuta is a section of the Zohar.

Sages (in Hebrew, "Chazal"): The "Sages" are the Rabbis of the Talmudic period. Their words--recorded in the Talmud, the Midrash and the Zohar--constitute the "OralTorah."

Samech is the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Sanhedrin: Tractate in the Talmud

Sason ("joy"): See Chedvah.

Seah: A seah is a unit of measure, equivalent to approximately 6 liters.

Second Holy Temple: Stood for 420 years in Jerusalem until destroyed by the Romans in 68 c.e. The First Holy Temple was built by King Solomon and was destroyed 410 years later by the Babylonians in 423 bce. The Third Holy Temple will be built by the Messiah and never again destroyed.

Seder; lit., `order'; pl., Sedarim: The order of service observed on the first night of Pesach (and outside of Eretz Yisrael on the first two nights).`

sefer (seforim): A Jewish religious book.

Sefer Torah, pl. Sifrei Torah: Torah scroll.

Sefer Yetzirah ("The Book of Formation"). Sefer Yetzirah, the very first classic text of Kabbalah, is attributed to Abraham. It was afterwards edited by Rabbi Akiva.

Sefer HaChinuch ("The Book of Education"). Sefer Hachinuch is a popular medieval work that enumerates the 613 commandments of the Torah (based upon Maimonides' system of counting) and explains them both from a legal and a moral perspective.

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

Sefirat HaOmer ("counting the Omer"): The omer is a dry measure mentioned in the Torah, and refers specifically to the measure of barley offered in the Temple on the second day of Pesach. Beginning with this day, the Jew is commanded to count the next forty-nine days, after which, on the fiftieth day, falls the holiday of Shavuot.

Segal: Hebrew for 'Segan L'Kohen' assistant to the priest. refers to one who is of the tribe of Levi.

Segulah - A deed, object, or utterance that acts as a charm effecting spiritual or material benefits.

Self-nullification or Selflessness (Bitul): "Self-nullification" is the spiritual state associated with the inner experience of chochmah.

Semichah ("support"): Semichah is the act of pressing down on the head of an animal prior to offering it as a sacrifice; also, rabbinic ordination.

Sephardi: Jews of Southern European, North African, and Middle Eastern descent. Ashkenazi Jews come from the rest of Europe and Russia.

Serafim ("fiery angels"): Serafim are the six-winged angels seen by Isaiah in his first prophetic vision of the heavenly throne; the angels occupying the world of Beriah.

Seudas Mashiach: The Festive Meal of Mashiach held on the Last Day of Pesach.

Seventeenth of Tammuz, the Fast of: Fast commemorating 5 calamities, including the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem during the Roman siege.

Sha'ashuim Atzmi'im ("The Delights of Self"): This is the first level of the revelation of God's inner light. Also called: Sha'ashuei Hamelech b'Atzmuto ("The Delights of the King in Himself").

Shabbat ("Sabbath"): Shabbat is the day of rest beginning sunset on Friday and ending at nightfall on Saturday.

Shabbaton A Shabbat gathering

Shabbos Chazon: Shabbos before Tisha B'Av

Shabbos Nachmu: Shabbos after Tisha B'Av

Shabbos Parshas...: The Shabbos on which a [named] parshah is read.

Shabbos Tshuva: Shabbos between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur

Shabbos, pl. Shabbasos: The Sabbath; Shabbat.

Shabbos: Holy day of rest. Occurs weekly, from Friday before sundown to Saturday night.

Shabbos: Tractate in the Talmud

Shacharit/shacharis - morning prayer service

Shaidim - demons

Shakai: A Holy Name of God.

Shaliach (pl. Shluchim): An emissary of the Rebbe, sent to spread Yiddishkeit and Chassidus

Shalom Bayis: Hebrew word referring to peaceful relations between husband and wife

Shavuos; lit., `weeks': Festival commemorating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai; in Eretz Yisrael falling on 6 Sivan, and in the Diaspora on the 6th and 7th of Sivan.

Shechitah: Ritual slaughtering.

Shecinah is the immanent Divine Presence that inheres within the universe, corresponding to the sefirah of malchut, the "feminine" aspect of Divinity.

Shehecheyanu; lit., `Who has granted us life': Blessing pronounced on seasonal and other occasions for thanksgiving (Siddur Tehilat HaShem, p. 87).

Shekel ("weight"): A shekel is a weight measure of silver, equivalent to approximately 12.3 gram.

Shema Yisrael ["Hear O' Israel"]: The Shema prayer [named after its opening words Shema Yisrael] is a compilation of three Biblical passages [Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Numbers 15:37-41] which we are commanded to recite twice daily.

Shema: Prayer proclaiming the Jewish belief in One G-d. The cornerstone of Jewish Faith, it is recited twice a day, once in the evening and once in the morning

Shemini Atzeret is the festival occurring on the day immediately following the seven day Sukkot festival. See: Simchat Torah.

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. See Amidah.

Shemos: Second book of the Torah. Called Exodus in English

Sheolos v'Tshuvos: Heb. Questions and Answers. This refers to Jewish scholarly books which are based on legal questions asked of Rabbis and their answers.

Shevat is the eleventh of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Shidduch - a match made between a man and woman.

Shiflut ("lowliness"): Shiflut is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of malchut.

Shin is the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Shir HaShirim Song of Songs

Shlita; Acronym of five Hebrew words, translated as "that he be preserved in life for many good days"; this abbreviation is placed after a person's name, expressing the wish `that he be preserved in life for many good days'.

Shmitah ("release"): The Shmitah is the sabbatical year, during which Jews in the Holy Land are bidden to cease working their fields.

Shmos Exodus

Shmuel Samuel

Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Rabbi: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe ("the old Rabbi") (Elul 18 5505 [1745] - Tevet 24 5573 [1813]. Also known as The Rav and as Ba'al HaTanya. He was the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy and trend within the Chassidic movement.

Shofar: Ram's horn sounded on Rosh HaShanah.

shtender: A stand or lectern, where books were placed during learning, or where a prayer book was placed by prayers.

Shulchan Aruch ["Set Table"]: the Code of Jewish Law, compiled and redacted by Rabbi Yosef Karo [1488-1575].

Sicha (pl. Sichos): A public address of the Rebbe or one of the earlier Rebbe’im

Siddur, pl. Siddurim, lit., `order [of prayers]': Prayer book; page references in most articles on this site are to the edition (with English translation) entitled Siddur Tehillat HaShem (Kehot, N.Y., 1979).

Sifrei: Midrashic work on Devorim

Siman, pl. simanim: significant omens

Simchah ("Joy" or "happiness").

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.

Sincerity (temimut): "Sincereity" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of hod.

Sivan is the third of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Siyyum; lit., `conclusion': Celebration marking one's completion of a Talmudic tractate.

Slichos: Penitential prayers said on the days before Rosh HaShanah and Yom KIppur

Sod: The level of Torah interpretation that plumbs its Kabbalistic or mystical depths. sod: A method of Biblical interpretation based on describing secret

Sodom: Biblical city filled with wicked people

Sota: A tractate of the Talmud

Soul 1. The Neshama is the ?breath of life? that G-d breathed into the first man; the third of the five levels of soul, associated with the vitality of intelligence. 2.The third of the five levels of the soul. 3. The soul in general. See soul.

Sovev Kol Almin ("Encompassing all Worlds"): Sovev Kol Almin is the transcendent Divine energy that permeates the universe but eludes our conscious grasp.

Splendor (Hod): "Splendor" is the eighth of the ten sefirot, and fifth of the emotive attributes in Creation.

strakes: Strips of velvet sown into the garments of some of the Rebbes, or great Rabbis.

Sukkah ("Hut"): A Sukkah is a temporary dwelling occupied during the festival of Sukkot in symbolic demonstration of our faith in God's providence.

Sukkah: One of the tractates of the Talmud

Sukkot ("Huts"): Sukkot is the 7-day festival celebrating the gathering of the harvest and commemorating the Divine protection afforded the children of Israel as they trekked through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.

Taam: Flavor; delight; reason.

Taanis: One of the tractates of the Talmud.

Ta'anug ("Pleasure"): Ta'anug is the spiritual state associated in particular with the second head of the keter.

Ta'avah ("desire"): A ta'avah is a lust, desire, or passion.

Tabernacle (Hebrew: miskan, "dwelling"): The tabernacle was the temporary, mobile Sanctuary (portable version of the Temple) constructed by the Jewish People during their journey in the desert from Egypt to the land of Israel, and which continued to serve in the land of Israel until the Holy Temple was constructed in Jerusalem.

Tachlis - straight to the point

Taharah (ritual "purity"): Taharah is the spiritual state in which one purified himself from a specific degree of tumah (or from tumah altogether), and is thus allowed to enter areas or touch, be touched by, or consume things or food he otherwise may not. In general, the process of attaining taharah involves some type of reaffirmation of life, such as immersion in a mikveh. The spiritual correlate to taharah is optimistic elation or joy in the service of G-d. See tumah.

Taharas hamishpacha - family purity

Takkanos; pl. of Takkanah: Halachic sublaws ordained by the Sages of the various generations.

Talis (talesim): A special garment that is used to cover a person in prayer.

Talmid (Talmidim): Disciples of a Rebbe.

Talmid Chocham: Torah Scholar.

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.

Talmud ("learning"): The Talmud is the recension of the greater part of the oral Torah, comprising mostly legal but also much homiletic and even some explicitly mystical material. The Talmud comprises the Mishnah (mishnah, "repetition") and the Gemarah (gemorah, "completion"). The Mishnah is the basic compendium of the laws (each known as a mishnah) comprising the oral Torah, redacted by Rabbi Yehudah the Prince in the second century CE. The Mishnah was elaborated upon over the next few centuries in the academies of the Holy Land and Babylonia; this material is theGemara. There are thus two Talmuds: the one composed in the Holy Land, known as the Talmud Yerushalmi ("The Jerusalem Talmud"), completed in the third century, and the more prevalent edition of the Talmud, which is considerably more extensive and accessible to analysis, known as the Talmud Bavli ("The Babylonian Talmud"), completed in the sixth century.

Talmud: An ancient work of Jewish law.

Tamei - impure

Tamim: See Temimim

Tamuz is the fourth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Tanach acronym for Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Holy Writings; i.e., the Hagiographa)

Tanach: Acronym for Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (the Prophets), and Kesuvim (the Writings; i.e., the Hagiographa).

Tanna ("teacher"; pl. Tanaim): Tanna, pl. Tannaim: Authority of the 1st-2nd centuries quoted in the Mishnah. A Tanna is a sage of the Mishnaic period (20 - 200 CE)

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 Onkeles: Aramaic translation of the Torah by Onkeles

Tav is the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Taz: One of the major commentators on the Shulchan Aruch

Tefach, pl. Tefachim: A unit of length corresponding to the width of a fist.

Tefillin ["phylacteries"]: Leather boxes containing specially written parchments, worn on the head and right arm by adult men during weekday morning prayer.

Tehillim Psalms

Tekunei Zohar: The most esoteric section of the Zohar

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 Tmimim.

Temimut ("sincerity"): 1. Temimut is earnestness and sincereity, either in one's conduct with his fellow men or in his connection to G-d. 2. Temimut is the spiritual state associated with the inner experience of the sefirah of hod.

Temple (or "Holy Temple"; Hebrew: Beit HaMikdash, "House of the Sanctuary"): The Temple is the central sanctuary in Jerusalem which serves as the physical abode of the indwelling of G-d's Presence on earth and as the venue for the sacrificial service. The Temple is the focal point of one's spiritual consciousness. The first Temple was built by King Solomon (833 BCE) and destroyed by the Babylonians (423 BCE); the second Temple was built by Nehemiah (371-353 BCE), remodeled by Herod and destroyed by the Romans (70 CE); the third, eternal Temple will be built by Mashiach.

Terumah ("Offering"): Terumah is the portion of one's crop which is given to the Priest (Kohen) as a gift.

Teshuvah, is the return of the individual (or community), after a period of estrangement, to a state of oneness with and commitment to God and His Torah. There are in general two levels of teshuvah: 1. "lower teshuvah" entails the rectification of one's deeds in accordance with the Divine will. 2. "higher teshuvah" is the great love and passion to become subsumed within Divine Essence, a passion more intense than that of the tzadik.

Tet is the 9th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Tevet (or Teves): Tevet is the tenth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Tevunah ("Comprehension"): Tevunah is the lower of the two primary partzufim which develop from the sefirah of binah (which together are referred to as the generalpartzuf of Imma).

Thirty-Six Hidden Tzaddikim: Hidden Saints upon whose merit the entire world exists. Tiberias: Ancient town in northern Israel, on the Sea of Galilee.

Three Weeks: Period of time from 17 of Tammuz to 9 of Av

Tiferes; lit., `glory': The third of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions.

Tiferet ("Beauty"): Tiferet is the sixth of the ten sefirot, and the third of the emotive attributes in creation.

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, pl. Tikkunim: The process of refining, restituting and rehabilitating the materiality of this world.

Tikkunay Zohar: Compiled by the Rashbi.

tikkunim plural of tikun.

Tikun 1. A tikun is a state of perfection and order. 2. "The world of Tikun,"(olam hatikkun, "the world of rectified order") is the world that first manifests this state , which is synonymous with the world of Atzilut. 3. Tikun is the spiritual process of liberating and retrieving the fragments of Divine light trapped within the material realm, unconscious of G-d's presence, thereby restoring the world to its initially intended state of perfection. This is accomplished through the performance of mitzvot. (See Birur, Tohu.). 4. Tikun is a remedy prescribed against the effects of committing a sin.

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.

Tishrei is the seventh of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Tohu ("Chaos"): 1. Tohu is the primordial unrectified state of Creation. 2. "The world of Tohu" is the world which manifests this state, synonymous with the initial, premature form of the world of Atzilut. It itself develops in two stages: a stable form (Akudim) followed by an unstable form (Nekudim). The world of Tohu is characterized by "great lights" entering premature "vessels," resulting in the "breaking of the vessels" (shevirat hakelim). See Tikun.

Tomchei Tmimim: a. The yeshivah founded in Lubavitch in 1897 by the Rebbe RaShaB; b. One of its subsequent offshoots.

Torah she’be’al pe Oral Torah

Torah she’bichtav Written Torah

Torah ("Teaching"): 1. The Torah is the five books of Moses. 2. The entirety of Divine teaching and wisdom bestowed upon, and cultivated by, the Jewish People. "The Written Torah" is synonymous with the 24 holy writings that make up the Tanach, whereas "the Oral Torah" consists of those teachings which were originally conveyed orally but eventually had to be written in the form of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash. 3. G-d's will and wisdom as communicated to man. It pre-existed creation, and G-d used the Torah as His blueprint in creating the world.

Torah: a. First 5 books of the Jewish Bible

Torah-portion: A Torah portion is one of the fifty-four sub-sections into which the five books of Moses are divided for the purpose of the weekly reading in the synagogue. There are also special Torah-portions for the holidays.

Toras Menachem: The Rebbe’s unedited public addresses

Trope ("Cantillation marks"): The trope is the special diacritical marks found in Masoretic editions of the Written Torah which indicate both how the words are to be sung during communal reading and how the sentences are to be punctuated.

Truth (emet): "Truth" is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of yesod.

Tu b'Shevat the fifteenth day of Shevat is the new year in regard to determining how fruit is to be tithed; the day upon which sap rises high into the tree and begins providing the fruit bearing branches with nutrients from the ground.

Tumah is a spiritual state contracted by someone or something under various circumstances and to various degrees, in which he is prohibited from entering various holy areas or touching, being touched by, or consuming various holy objects or foods. In general, the sources of tumahare in some way associated with death (or a missed chance for potential life) and the purification process involves some type of reaffirmation of life. The spiritual correlate to tumah is depression or despair. See taharah.

Tzaddekus: righteous women

Tzaddik (pl. Tzaddikim): According to the Alter Rebbe’s holy work known as Tanya, a Tzaddik is a saintly Jew who possesses no evil inclination

Tzaddik Nistar ["concealed tzadik"] A hidden tzaddik, whose righteousness remains unknown to his community.

Tzadik in peltz (a righteous man in furs" Yiddish): A depreciative term for someone who tends to his own spiritual well being while remaining oblivious to the spiritual needs of others.

Tzadik is the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A tzadik is someone who has succeeded in fully overcoming the evil inclination of his animal soul (and has converted its potential into good) and who dedicates himself to spiritually elevating his people.

Tzadikkim plural of Tzadik.

Tzedakah: Charity; righteousness.

Tzedek: Justice

Tzefat: Town in northern Israel, known as the City of Kabbalah .

Tzeniut ("modesty"): Tzeniut is the norms of modest behavior, attitude, and dress prescribed by the Torah.

Tzevakot: A Holy Name of G-d.

Tzimtzum: The self-limitation of the infinite and emanating Divine light by progressive degrees of contraction, condensation and concealment, making possible the creation of finite and physical substances.

Tzitter - to quake in fear

Tzures - trouble, problems

Vav hachibur ("The connective vav"): Vav hachibur is the Hebrew letter vav when used as the conjunction "and." See vav.

Vav hahipuch ("The transformative vav"): Vav hahipuch is the Hebrew letter vav when used in Biblical Narrative Hebrew to transform the tense of a verb from future to past. See vav.

Vav is the 6th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Vayikra Leviticus

Victory (Netzach): "Victory" is the seventh of the ten sefirot, and the fourth of the emotive attributes within Creation.

Vowel-letters: The four Hebrew letters: alef, hei, vav, yud, which can serve as vowels as well as consonants. As the source of speech is the plain voice articulated through vowels, these letters are considered the essential "origins" of Hebrew, and the Names of G-d composed solely of these consonants are considered His "essential" Names.

Will (Ratzon): "Will" is the spiritual state associated with the lowest of the three heads of Keter.

Wisdom (Chochmah): "Wisdom" is the second of the ten sefirot, and the first power of conscious intellect within Creation.

World (Hebrew: olam): A "World" is a spiritual level of creation, representing a rung on the continuum of consciousness or awareness of G-d. In general, there are four worlds: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. In particular, however, these four worlds originate from a fifth, higher world, Adam Kadmon. All ten sefirot and twelve partzufim are manifest in each world; however, since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the worlds and the sefirot, a particular sefirah dominates in each world.

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 Ab-ya.

Yabok is the name of the river which Jacob transversed upon entering Israel, before his encounter with his brother Esau. In Kabbalah, an acronym for Yichud ["unification"], Berachah ["blessing"], Kedushah ["holiness"]). Of the varying interpretations with regard to the three levels of this most fundamental idiom and teaching of Kabbalah--yichud, berachah and kedushah--the most often cited and expounded upon in the classic texts of Chassidut is that the three concepts correspond to the three general ascending levels of the soul:nefesh, ruach and neshamah; or one's "world" of action--his ability to relate and unite with outer reality, one's "world" of emotion--the blessing of abundant emotive energy, and one's "world" of meditation--the experience of holiness as a transcendent connection with the realm of the Divine.

Yachid ("The Single One"):

Yakov Aveinu: Hebrew for 'our father Jacob'

Yarzheit - anniversary of person's death.

Yavatz: Hebrew initials for Yaakov ben Tzvi. Name of Rabbi Yaakov Emden

Yechidah ("The singular one"): Yechidah is the highest of the five levels of soul, which will only manifest itself at the time of Mashiach. See soul.

Yechidus - Special one-on-one time alone with a Rebbe

Yechzkel: Hebrew name for the book of Ezekiel

Yehadut

Yehoshua: Hebrew for Joshua

Yemot Hamashiach ("The days of Mashiach" -- Messianic era): See Olam Haba.

Yerushalmi: Talmud that was compiled in Palestine as opposed to the standard on that was compiled in Babylonia called the Bavli

Yesh me'ayin (Somethingness from nothingness): Yesh me'ayin is the process of creation ex nihilo.

Yesh (or yeshut) is material reality or the state of independent self-consciousness; egotism, in Chassidic terminology.

Yeshaya: Hebrew name for book of Isaiah

Yeshivah, pl. Yeshivos: 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.

Yetzer HaRah: Heb. Evil Inclination.

Yetzer Tov: Heb. Good Inclination

Yetzer: lit. Inclination. It is Jewish belief that every Jew has both an evil and good inclination within him, that are at 'war' to see which of them the person will follow.

Yetzirah ("Formation"): Yetzirah is the third of the four worlds of Creation, wherein the ethereal ?substance? of Beriah is endowed with spirit and generic form; the consciousness of yesh m'yesh; the spiritual abode of the chayot; the origin of ruach in the soul of man.

Yeush (yey-oosh) abandonment, despair

Yichud ("unification"): 1. A Yichud is a type of tikun in which one does not need to separate good from evil but rather focus one's consciousness on the inherent spiritual unity between two apparently disparate concepts. See birur. 2. (pl. yichudim): A specific spiritual exercise of this nature. 3.The spiritual state associated with the sefirah of Da'at.

Yiddish: a. Jewish b. A language spoken by Jews.

Yiddishkeit; lit., `Jewishness'; (Yiddish): Judaism; The Torah way of life.

Yirah ("fear"): Yirah is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of gevurah.

Yirmiya: Hebrew name for the book of Jeremiah

Yisrael Sabba ("Israel the Elder" Aramaic): Yisrael Sabba is the lower of the two primary partzufim which develop from the sefirah of chochmah (which together are referred to as the general partzuf of Abba).

Yitzchok: Hebrew for Isaac

YM'Sh: Heb. Yimach Shimoh V'Zichro : Their name should be erased

Yom Hillula: The day of the passing of a Tzaddik who taught Pnimiyus HaTorah (the inner dimension of Torah); Hillula means literally “wedding,” for this day is regarded as a joyous occasion

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the most holy day of the Jewish year.

Yom Suf: Hebrew 'sea of reeds'.

Yom Tov ("A good day"): Yamim Tovim: plural Yom tov is a festive holidays on which, with certain exceptions, weekday work is prohibited just as on Shabbat.

Yom-Tov Sheni shel Galuyos: One of the days which only in the Diaspora is appended to each of the three Pilgrim Festivals.

Yortzheit: Yiddish for the day of the anniversary of a death

Yud Shevat: The 10th day of the month of Shevat, the day of the Histalkus of the sixth Rebbe of Chabad, when the Rebbe became the Rebbe

Yud: Yud is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

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-gimmel middos This series of events (collectively called "the Redemption") will usher in an era of eternal, universal peace and true knowledge of God, called "the messianic era." There is also a prophesied messianic figure called Mashiach ben Yoseph, who will rectify certain aspects of reality in preparation for the advent of Mashiach ben Dovid. 2. specifically, the thirteen tufts of the "beard" of Arich Anpin

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.

Zayin is the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Z'chus: merit, pl. zechusim

Zechariah Zachariah

Zeir Anpin ("the small face" Aramaic): Ze'ir Anpin is the partzuf of the midot, corresponding to the emotive faculties of the soul. In general, the concept of "finitude" or "finite power" is identified with Ze'ir Anpin. See Arich Anpin.

Zivug ("coupling"): Zivug is an idiom for marital relations.

Z'L: Hebrew initials of the words: Zechorono LeVaracha (His memory is a blessing.)

Zmira, Zmirot songs with words

Zohar is the seminal work of the Kabbalah, written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century) and his students. It is one of the basic texts of the oral Torah and Kabbalah. The Zoharic literature includes the Zohar proper, the Tikunei Zohar, and the Zohar Chadash.

Zot Chanukah ("This is the Dedication"): Zot Chanukah is the name associated with the last day of Chanukah.

ZT'L: Hebrew initials of the words: Zechor Tzaddik LeVaracha (The memory of a Tzaddik - Righteous person is a blessing.)

ZTvK'L: Hebrew initials of the words:Zechor Tzaddik veKadosh LeVaracha (The memory of a Tzaddik - Righteous man and a Kodosh - a holy man is a blessing)