An asterisk indicates a cross-reference within the Glossary.

Abbale	(a) familiar form of the name Abba; (b) familiar form of the name Avraham.
Achiya of Shilo	A Biblical Prophet.
Aggadah	allegorical tales and other non-legal matter found in the *Talmud.
ahavas Yisrael	love of one's fellow Jews
Al Cheit	a pro forma confession of sins in alphabetic order, normally recited only on Yom Kippur.
aliyah	the honor of being called up to the public Torah reading.
Amalek	the first nation to attack the Jewish People after the exodus from Egypt (cf. Shemos, ch. 17).
Ari, AriZal	(lit., "the lion of blessed memory"): Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), one of the leading luminaries of the *Kabbalah.
Av	the fifth month of the Jewish year when counting from *Nissan (the eleventh when counting from *Tishrei); the month in which both Temples were destroyed; occurs in mid to late summer.
avodah	(lit., "service"): formerly, the sacrificial service in the Temple, and later, the service of prayer instituted in its stead. In chassidic terminology, refers to one's entire program of serving and worshipping G-d.
Avodas Hakodesh	one of the earliest works elucidating the fundamental concepts of *Kabbalah, by the 15th century Kabbalist Rabbi Meir ben Gabbai.
Avremel	familiar form of the name Avraham (Abraham).
baal teshuvah	(lit., "master of return"): a person who turns to G-d in repentance, after willful or unknowing transgression of the Torah's commandments.
bar mitzvah	(lit., "obligated to fulfill the commandments"): the attainment of religious majority, at which point one becomes personally responsible for his religious practice; a male becomes bar mitzvah at the age of 13.
Behaalos'cha	the third *parshah in the book of Bamidbar, read from the Torah in early summer.
beis hamedrash (pl., batei hamedrash)	house of (*Torah) study, usually serving as a synagogue as well; in chassidic circles, the terms beis hamedrash and *shul are often used interchangeably.
Beis HaMikdash	the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Berel	familiar form of the name Ber, which is the Yiddish form of the Hebrew name Dov.
besamim	aromatic spices, used in the *Havdalah service.
BH	"Boruch HaShem," (Blessed be G-d).
Bilaam	the wicked gentile prophet who cursed the Jewish People in the desert, but whose curses G-d changed into blessings.
bochur (pl., bochurim)	a young man past the age of *bar mitzvah, but not yet married; see yeshivah bochur.
Borchu	a passage in the morning and evening prayer service, read aloud by the *chazan, followed with a response by the congregation.
Chabad	(acronym for the Hebrew words meaning "wisdom, understanding, and knowledge"): the approach to Chassidism which filters its spiritual and emotional power through the intellect; a synonym for Chabad is Lubavitch, the name of the town where this movement originally flourished
Chayimke	familiar form of the name Chayim.
chalitzah	a ceremony whereby the widow of a childless husband is released by the brother of the deceased, thus permitting her to remarry; in certain instances, the laws pertaining to this *mitzvah become extremely complicated.
challah	bread baked in honor of *Shabbos or *Yom Tov.
Chanukah	(lit., "redication"): eight-day festival beginning on 25 *Kislev, celebrating the recapture of the second Temple from the Syrian Greeks, and its rededication.
Charan	former residence of Avraham's family; Yaakov lived there for 20 years, and married his cousins there.
Chassidus	(a) Chassidism; i.e., the movement within Orthodox Judaism founded in Polish Ukraine (Vohlynia-Podolia) by Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov, stressing: emotional involvement in prayer; service of G-d through the material universe; wholehearted earnestness in Divine service; the mystical in addition to the legalistic dimension of Judaism; the power of joy, and of music; the love to be shown to every Jew, unconditionally; and the mutual, physical and moral responsibility of the members of the informal chassidic brotherhood, each chossid having cultivated a spiritual attachment to their saintly and charismatic leader, the *Rebbe; (b) the philosophy and literature of this movement.
Chatzos	(a) midnight; (b) the *Tikkun Chatzos prayer.
chazan	one who leads the *minyan in prayer; the cantor.
cheder	a Jewish elementary school; in chassidic circles, this term may refer to a class for a select group of advanced adult students.
chevrah kadishah	(lit., "the holy society"): the burial society, which attends to the pre-funeral rituals for a deceased person, arranges the funeral procession, performs the burial, and oversees the management of the cemetery.
chossid (pl., chassidim)	(a) adherent of the Chassidic Movement (see *Chassidus); (b) a follower of a particular chassidic *Rebbe.
Czernobyler Chassidim	followers of Rabbi Nochum of Czernobyl (a colleague of the Alter Rebbe), or his successors.
daven	to pray.
davening	v. praying; n. the prayer.
Days of Repentance	the first ten days of *Tishrei, beginning on *Rosh Hashanah, and culminating on *Yom Kippur.
deveikus	spiritual attachment to, or unification with the Divine.
Ein Yaakov	a collection of Aggadah from the *Talmud, printed together with the classical commentaries.
Eliyahu, Eliyahu Hanavi	the prophet Elijah.
Elul	the sixth month of the Jewish year when counting from *Nissan (the twelfth when counting from *Tishrei); a month devoted to repentance and soul-searching in preparation for the High Holy Days; occurs in late summer.
Eretz Yisrael	the Land of Israel.
farbrengen	an informal gathering of *chassidim for mutual edification and brotherly criticism, usually led by a *mashpia.
gabbai (pl., gabbaim)	an executive officer of the synagogue, the *chevrah kadishah, or other communal organization.
gaon (pl., geonim)	a *Torah genius.
Gemara	the *Talmud; the elucidation of the *Mishnah, and the discussion of related topics, by the Sages.
Hakkafos (pl. of Hakkafah; lit., "circuits")	the sevenfold procession with the Torah scrolls in the synagogue on *Simchas Torah, accompanied by singing and dancing (Siddur, p. 335).
Halachah	(a) the body of Jewish law; (b) texts dealing with this subject; (c) a particular law.
Havdalah	(lit., "separation"): blessings pronounced over wine or certain other beverages at the conclusion of *Shabbos or a festival to mark it off from the ordinary weekdays that follow (Siddur, p. 234).
Hosha'ana Rabbah	the seventh day of *Sukkos, which is also the day before *Shemini Atzeres, when special supplicatory prayers are recited.
Ibn Ezra	Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1164), author of one of the early biblical commentaries.
Kabbalah	(lit., "the received tradition"): the body of Jewish mystic teachings.
kabbalist	one who studies or specializes in *Kabbalah.
kabbolas ol	(lit., "accepting the yoke"): following the instructions of G-d, the *Torah, or one's *Rebbe without question.
Kaddish	(lit., "sanctification"): a prayer recited by the *chazan between the sections of the public prayer service, and by mourners at the conclusion of the service.
Kedushah	(lit., "holiness"): a passage in the public prayer service, with portions read aloud by the *chazan, followed with a response by the congregation.
Kerias Shema	recitation of the *Shema.
Kiddush	(lit., "sanctification"): blessings recited over wine, expressing the sanctity of *Shabbos or a festival.
Kiddush Levanah	blessing over the new moon, usually recited during the second week of the lunar month; in the month of *Tishrei, it is customary to recite it at the conclusion of *Yom Kippur.
Kislev	the ninth month of the Jewish year when counting from *Nissan (the third when counting from Tishrei); occurs in early winter.
Maariv	the evening prayer service.
maggid	a preacher.
Maharam Schiff	(acronym for *Moreinu HaRav Meir Schiff; 1608-1644): the author of a classical commentary on the *Talmud, famous for insightful explanation of the subject matter without resorting to *pilpul.
Malach	Rabbi Avraham "the Angel," son and successor of the Maggid of Mezrich.
mashpia	chassidic spiritual mentor, usually officially appointed by the *Rebbe, by the administration of a chassidic *yeshivah, or by the leaders of a chassidic community.
Medrash	(a) the classical collection of the Sages' homiletic teachings on the Bible; (b) any one such teaching.
melamed (pl., melamdim)	an elementary *Torah teacher in the traditional *cheder.
mesirus nefesh	(lit., "sacrifice of the soul"): the willingness to sacrifice oneself, either through martyrdom, or through a selfless life, for the sake of the *Torah and its commandments.
mikveh	a ritual bath in which a person immerses himself as part of the transition from impurity to purity, or from a lower state of holiness to a higher state.
Minchah	the afternoon prayer service.
minyan (pl., minyonim)	(a) ten adult male Jews; (b) a quorum for public prayer, consisting of ten such Jews.
Mishnah (pl., Mishnayos)	the germinal statements of law elucidated by the *Gemara, together with which they collectively constitute the *Talmud; any one such statement is likewise called a Mishnah.
misnaged (pl., misnagdim)	opponent of *Chassidus, either as an individual, or as a member of an organized opposition group.
mitzvah	(lit., "commandment"; pl., mitzvos): one of the 613 commandments; in a larger sense, any religious obligation or meritorious act.
Moreinu	"Our Master," an honorary title used as a preface to the name of a particularly important Rabbi.
Moshe, Moshe Rabbeinu	Moses.
Mottel	familiar form of the name Mordechai.
mussar	n. words of censure or admonishment; v. to censure or admonish.
Mussar	Jewish philosophic works dealing with personal conduct and character, and methods for self-improvement in these areas.
Neilah	(lit., "sealing up"): the fifth prayer service recited before the conclusion of *Yom Kippur, when the gates of Heaven are being sealed.
niggun (pl., niggunim)	melody, usually without words, especially one used in Divine service.
Ninth of Av	A day of fasting and mourning, concluding the *Three Weeks, and marking the date when both the first and second Temples were destroyed.
Nissan	the first month of the Jewish year (the seventh counting from *Tishrei), during which the Exodus from Egypt took place; occurs in springtime.
Noach	Noah.
parnas	the President and chief benefactor of the congregation.
parshah	portion of the Torah read during a particular week.
partzufim	the *sefiros as they are joined together in various ways, as taught in *Kabbalah.
Pesach	the Passover Festival, occuring on 15 *Nissan, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt.
pidyon sh'vuyim	ransom of captives.
pilpul (pl., pilpulim)	a complex scholarly dissertation.
porush (pl., perushim)	(a) one who practices celibacy, refraining from conjugal relations with his wife; (b) an ascetic.
Poskim	(a) works of applied Jewish law; (b) the authors of these works.
Ramac	(acronym for Rabbi Moshe Cordovero; c. 1522-1570): one of the foremost 16th century *kabbalists in *Eretz Yisrael, and an older colleague (perhaps also a mentor) of the *AriZal.
Rambam	(acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon; 1135-1204): Maimonides, one of the foremost Jewish thinkers of the Middle Ages; his Mishneh Torah is one of the pillars of Jewish Law, and his Guide for the Perplexed, one of the classics of Jewish Philosophy.
Ramban	(acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman; 1135-1204): Nachmanides, a sage whose commentaries on the *Torah and *Talmud are classics.
Rashi	(acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki; 1040-1105): the author of the foremost commentaries on the Bible and the *Talmud; his commentary on the Talmud is traditionally printed together with the text.
ratzu	the yearning to cling to G-dliness; the soul's inner desire to transcend its material existence (see shuv).
Rav	the Rabbi of a community or congregation.
Reb	a short form of "*Rebbe," used as a title prefacing a name; colloquially, used with the name of any adult male, not necessarily a Rabbi or Rebbe.
Rebbe	(common Yid. pronunciation of hcr, "my teacher [or master]"; pl., Rebbeim): *tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of *chassidim.
Rebbetzin	wife of a Rabbi or *Rebbe; occasionally, refers to a woman of great spiritual achievements in her own right.
Raish Lakish	the *Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish.
Rosh Chodesh	(lit., "head of the month"): New Moon, one or two semi-festive days at the beginning of each lunar month.
Rosh Hashanah	(lit., "head of the year"): the solemn New Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 *Tishrei, and beginning the ten *Days of Repentance.
Rosh Yeshivah	dean of a *yeshivah
ruach hakodesh	spirit of prophecy.
sefirah (pl., sefiros)	the *Kabbalistic term for the attributes of G-dliness which serve as a medium between His infinite light and our limited framework of reference, or between the supernal worlds, and our lower world.
Selichos	(a) special prayers recited before dawn during the week preceding *Rosh Hashanah; (b) the days during which these prayers are recited.
Seventeenth of Tammuz	a fast day marking the beginning of the *Three Weeks.
Shabbos	the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.
Shabbos Selichos	the *Shabbos occurring just prior to the week when *Selichos are recited.
Shabbos Teshuvah	The *Shabbos occurring during the ten *Days of Repentance.
Shacharis	the morning prayer service.
shammes	custodian of a *shul or *beis hamedrash.
Shavuos	(lit., "weeks"): festival occurring in very late spring, celebrating the giving of the *Torah on Mt. Sinai, and the sacrificial service of the new wheat crop in Temple times.
Shema	"Hear O Israel," the opening words of a text consisting of three passages of the Torah, to be recited during the morning and evening prayer services, and before retiring at night.
Shemini Atzeres	the eighth day of the *Sukkos festival, a holiday in its own right, celebrated with great joy.
Shemoneh Esrei	the "Eighteen Benedictions," which constitute the central feature of the daily prayer services, recited silently, while standing; afterwards, in all but the evening service, these benedictions are repeated aloud by the *chazan.
Shevat	the eleventh month of the Jewish Year when counting from *Nissan (or the fifth when counting from *Tishrei); occurs in late winter.
shochet (pl., shochtim)	one who slaughters cattle or fowl for kosher consumption in the ritually-prescribed manner.
shofar	a ram's horn, sounded during the month of *Elul and on *Rosh Hashanah.
Sholom Aleichem	"Peace upon you!" a traditional greeting.
shul	a synagogue; in chassidic circles, the terms shul and *beis hamedrash are often used interchangeably.
Shulchan Aruch	the standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by Rabbi Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century, or a later version compiled by the Alter Rebbe.
shuv	the resolve to live within the context of material reality, based on the awareness that this is G-d's ultimate intent (see ratzu).
side-room	(Heb. cheder sheini, lit., "second room"): a smaller room adjoining the main room of a *shul or *beis hamedrash, where people may study or *daven at length, undisturbed by the activity and noise of the public prayer and study sessions; these days, this feature is usually found only in chassidic shuls and batei hamedrash.
simcha shel mitzvah	joy derived from doing a *mitzvah.
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.
Strasheller Chassidim	followers of Rabbi Aharon of Strashelle, a disciple of the Alter Rebbe, and a colleague and rival of his son the Mitteler Rebbe.
Sukkos	(lit., "Booths"): seven-day festival beginning on 15 *Tishrei and followed by *Shemini Atzeres-*Simchas Torah, taking its name from the temporary dwelling in which one lives during this period.
tallis	woolen cloak with *tzitzis, worn during prayer.
Talmud	the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary, comprising *Mishnah and *Gemara; when unspecified, refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed in Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Talmud Yerushalmi is the edition compiled in *Eretz Yisrael at end of the fourth century C.E.
Tammuz	the fourth month of the Jewish year when counting from *Nissan (the tenth when counting from *Tishrei); occurs in mid-summer.
Tanach	the Bible.
tefillin	small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with *Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages, bound to the arm and forehead by leather straps; worn by men at weekday morning prayers; "phylacteries."
Tehillim	(lit., "praises"): the book of Psalms.
teshuvah	(lit., "return"): repentance.
Three Weeks	the period of semi-mourning beginning on the *Seventeenth of Tammuz and culminating on the *Ninth of Av, commemorating the destruction of both the first and second *Beis HaMikdash.
Tikkun Chatzos	(lit., "midnight liturgy"): an optional devotional exercise lamenting the destruction of the *Beis HaMikdash, and the subsequent exile of the Divine Presence on a cosmic level.
Tishrei	the first month of the Jewish year (the seventh when counting from *Nissan); this month includes *Rosh Hashanah, the ten *Days of Repentance, *Yom Kippur, *Sukkos, and *Shemini Atzeres-*Simchas Torah; occurs in early fall.
Torah	(lit. "law"): G-d's revealed truth, communicated as the Written Law, the Five Books of Moses, and the Oral Law, the oral tradition communicated by our Sages throughout history
Torah lishmah	Torah studied strictly for its own sake, with no ulterior motives: not even the desire to know how to observe its laws properly.
Toras Ha'Olah	work on philosophy and *Kabbalah by Rabbi Moshe Isserles c. 1540-1573.
Tosafos	(lit., "supplements"): classical commentaries on the Talmud composed by the descendants and disciples of *Rashi which began to appear in the mid-twelfth century and are traditionally printed together with the text of the Talmud.
tzaddik (pl., tzaddikim)	(a) a holy and righteous person; (b) a *Rebbe.
tzitzis	(a) fringes on the four corners of the *tallis worn by males (cf. Bamidbar 15:37-40); (b) a four-cornered garment with such fringes, usually worn underneath one's outer clothing.
Yaakov	Jacob.
yahrtzeit	(Yid. lit., "time of year"): the anniversary of a person's (usually a parent's) death.
yechidus	private interview at which a *chossid seeks guidance and enlightenment from his *Rebbe.
yeshivah (pl., yeshivos)	Torah academy for advanced students.
Yeshivah bochur (pl., yeshivah bochurim)	an unmarried young man studying at a senior *yeshivah.
Yeshurun	alternate name for the Jewish People.
yetzer hora	the evil inclination.
Yisrael	(a) Israel; (b) the Jewish People.
Yom Kippur	the Day of Atonement, a solemn fast day falling on 10 *Tishrei and climaxing the *Days of Repentance.
Yom Tov	a Jewish religious festival.
Yussik	familiar form of the name Yosef (Joseph).
Zavelle	familiar form of the name Zev.
Zechor Bris	(lit., "Remember the Covenant"): the *Selichos prayer of the day before *Rosh Hashanah; the day itself is sometimes referred to as Z.B.; the "eve of Z.B." is thus the last evening of the year.
Zohar	(lit., "Radiance"): The title of the classic mystical work from which the teachings of *Kabbalah are derived.