If your life is not in jeopardy for what you
believe, you’re probably on the wrong side!
Subscribe to The Center for Messianic Learning
Like this page? Share it.
Others:
Mobile Users:
The page will display properly if you hold your device in “landscape”
position
and use your touch gesture to resize the page to fit your screen.
|
A Glossary of
Unfamiliar Terms
Compiled from numerous source documents
|
|
C
A note about words beginning with or
containing “ch”:
There is no “ch” sound (as in “chew” or “China”) in either Hebrew or
Aramaic.
The “ch” combination is pronounced as a “breathy k” or “kh” —
as in Johann
Sebastian Bach — and is
frequently
transliterated that way.
C.E.
Common Era (same as A.D. but much less
offensive to non-Messianic Jewish people)
cantor
one who leads the chanting [canting, singing] of prayers in the
synagogue services.
chachah
reproof
chacham
wise man (pl. chachamim)
chadash
new wine
chadashot
new things
chafetz
good pleasure
chag
festival
Chag
Habikkurim
(alt. Habikurim) Festival of the First Fruits; another
name for
Shavuot
Chag
Haggeulah
Festival of Redemption
Chag HaKatzir
Festival of Ingathering or Harvest
Chag
Sameach
joyous holiday; the greeting used on the festivals
chai
alive (or life); when Jews drink a toast, they wish each other
“L’chayim” (to life)
chaim
(alt. chayyim)
life; the plural ending indicates an increase or multiplication,
thus “very life” or “abundant life”
chaiyal
soldier (pl. chaiyalim)
chal
placed under obligation
chalav
milk
chalil
flute
chalitzah
This Biblical ceremony, to absolve a man of marrying his
childless brother’s widow, means “removal.” The widow removes his
shoe and publicly spits upon the recalcitrant.
challah
(alt. chalah)
Egg bread eaten on Shabbat and festivals; the
challah used on Rosh haShanah is round, often containing raisins,
symbolizing a sweet year, distinguishing it from the Shabbat challah
that is braided … the kohen’s share in the dough … White braided
Sabbath bread; name of the dough tithed from bread baking (pl.
chalot)
chalutzim
pioneers
chamdanut
covetousness greed
chamesh
five
chamesh
elafim
five thousand
chametz חָמֵץ
(alt. chometz, hametz) (lit. sour) any fermented product of grain, all
leavening agents; hence, that which makes “sour” … leavening, yeast,
baking powder; mixes with a leavening agent, bread and bread crumbs;
food prepared with leaven, by extension referring to all foods and
utensils forbidden on Passover … leavened bread and anything made
with wheat, rye, barley, oats, or spelt, which has not been
supervised to ensure that it has not leavened; refers to prohibited
foods during
Pesach.
chamor
donkey
chamot
shviger; mother-in-law
chaninah
mercy
Chanukat
Habayit
dedication of the home; the ceremony affixing the
mezuzah
Chanukiah
eight-branched candelabrum, with a place for a ninth
candle (shamash) that light the others, especially designed for
Chanukkah
Chanukkah
(Alt. Hanukah,
Hanukkah, Chanukah) Dedication; name of the winter holiday
commemorating the Maccabean victory over the Syrians in 165 B.C.E.
and the rededication of the Temple
chap
grasp mentally; grab
charedi
orthodox
charon
af HaShem
burning wrath or anger of God
charoset
(alt. charoset) a mixture of fruits (usually apples), nuts,
cinnamon, and wine; one of the symbolic
Passover foods on the seder plate. Its color and consistency are
reminders of the bricks and mortar used by the Israelite slaves
Chas
v’shalom
(alt. Chas veshalom) God forbid!
chashadot merusha’im
evil suspicions
chashivut
importance; prominence
Chassidic
pertaining to the Chasidim
Chasidim
Ultra-Orthodox followers of the eighteenth-century leader, Rabbi Israel, the
Ba’al Shem Tov
Some main features of Chassidic thought, or Chassidism are emphasis on
Sincerity, fervour
Prayer
Joy and spontaneity
Humility
Connection to the Tzadik, the Rebbe (Known as ADMO”R, acronym for Adoneinu, Moreinu veRabeinu
(Our Master, Our Teacher and Our Rabbi)
Introduction of Kabbalistic concepts to the masses
Some of the common customs of the Chassidim are:
Specific clothing - Spodek, Shtreimel, long coats, gartel
Eating with the Rebbe - Tisch, Farbrengen
Order of prayer of Rav Yitzchak Luriah (Ari Zal)
Later prayer times - following preparations
Chasidus
The Chassidic movement, was founded by R. Yisrael
Ba’al Shem Tov (1700 - 1760) in the early 18th Century and grew
to one of the great movements of mainstream Judaism to this day. It
grew in the regions of Galicia, the Ukraine and Podolia.
chassidus
piety
chassuna
wedding
chatan
(alt.
chosson) bridegroom
Chatan
Bereshit
(lit. Bridegroom of Genesis) the man called to recite or
chant the blessings over the first section of the
Torah
on
Simchat Torah
Chatan Torah
(lit. Bridegroom of the Torah) the man called to recite or chant the
blessings over the final section of the
Torah on
Simchat Torah
chatat
(alt. hataat, chattat) sin offering in the Temple (2 Chron 5:21)
chatetz
good pleasure of his will
chatoteinu
our sins
chatsot
halailah; chatzot halailah
midnight
chattaim
sins
chattat
(alt, chatat) sin offering; sin-atoning sacrifice;
chattoteynu
our sins
chaver
leneshek
comrade-in-arms
chavrusashaft
association
chavurah
company; fellowship; society; those who partake of the
Paschal lamb together
chavurah
(alt. chaburah, havra’ah)
a group of “subscribers” convened for
the purpose of offering the
Pesach Sacrifice and eating of its meat … Informal group, which
meets together for Jewish study and celebration (pl. chavurot)
Chayyah
Beast; Anti-Mashiach; Antichrist
chayyah
living, animal, beast (pl. chayyot)
chayyei
menuchah
life of rest
chayyeinu
our life
chayyim
(alt.
chaim) life
chazakim
strong ones
chazan
(alt. chazzan, hazzan, hazan) the cantor, the leader in prayer
chazan
hakkeneset
synagogue employee
Chazarat
Hashatz
repetition of the amidah prayer by the cantor aloud after
it was recited by the congregants
Chazereth
bitter root, usually horseradish, on the
Seder plate
chazir
swine (pl. chazirim)
chazon
vision; revelation; prophecy
chazora
review
cheder
room or chamber … old-fashioned term for Hebrew school
chedvah
rejoicing
chefetz
desire
chelek
allotted portion
chen
v’chesed
favor and mercy; lovingkindness
chepping
annoying
cherem
ban of destruction
cherish
a deaf person (pl. chereshim)
cheresh-illem
deaf and mute
cherev
sword
cherub -im
(alt. cheruvim) an order of angelic being; the Cherubim in the
Sanctuary (pl. cherubim)
cherut
freedom
chesed
free; unmerited favor or grace
cheshbon
plan; account; bill
Cheshvan
(Bul)
second month of Jewish year
chet
(lit. missing the mark) one of the Hebrew terms translated “sin” …
equivalent to Gk. hamartia
chevlei
leydah
pangs of childbirth
Chevlei
Mashiach
birthpangs of Mashiach
Chevrah
Kadisha
group of people entrusted with the mitzvah of preparing a
body for burial
chikiah
wait
Chillul
Hashem gidduf
desecration of the Name blasphemy
chiloni
secular
chiyuv
duty
chizzuk
strengthening
chochmah
wisdom
chodashim
moons
chodesh
month
choiv
debt
chok
decree; law
chokmah
wisdom (in a good sense); skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit
chol
non-sacred
Chol Hamoed
ordinary part of the festival
days in the middle of Pesach or
Sukkot when work is allowed …
weekdays of the Festival
choleh
sick one
cholent
a stew usually made from potatoes, beans and meat. The recipe
varies from community to community. Calcutta “chamin” has rice,
curry and chicken. German cholent has beans, dumpling and beef.
Hungarians add whole eggs etc. It is eaten on
Shabbat, and is placed on the fire on Friday afternoon. It cooks
over Shabbat, and by lunchtime is ready to eat.
cholim
sick persons
cholom
dream
chomed
covetous
chomer
haDin
rigor of the Law
choref
winter
chori af
burning wrath
chori
afhaba
the wrath to come
chorim
freedmen
choshech
darkness
chosson
(alt.
chatan) bridegroom
chotam
seal
chote’im
sinners
chotsh
at least
chovah
musarit
moral duty
chozek
encouragement strength
Chukat
a portion in the Book of Numbers
chukim
laws
Chumash
Chumash is a Torah in printed form as
opposed to a Sefer Torah, which is a scroll. The word comes from the Hebrew
word for five, chamesh. A more formal term is chamishah chumshei Torah,
“five
fifths of Torah.” It is also known by the Latinised Greek term Pentateuch
in common printed editions. (pl. Chumashim)
chumra
legalism
chupah
(alt. chuppah, huppah) canopy under which pair stand at wedding
ceremony, symbol of home to be established; represents the honeymoon
chamber
churban
destruction
chutzpah
nerve
cohan
(alt. cohen, kohen) priest
Cohen כֹּהֵן
(alt. cohan, kohen)
Priest … a descendant Moishe’s brother Aharon, the first High Priest
(Cohen Gadol) of the Jewish people. The Cohen is always called up
first to the Torah reading. (pl. Cohenim, alt. Cohanim, Kohanim,
Kohenim)
Cohen
Gadol
High Priest. The Cohen Gadol, wore a special turban, tunic
and breast plate amongst other things. (pl. Cohenim Gedolim)
Cohen
haGadol
(alt. Kohen haGadol, Cohen Gadol, Kohen Gadol) The High
Priest
confirmation
ceremony marking the completion of the religious
school course of study, often held on
Shavuot
consecration
ceremony marking the beginning of a child’s formal
Jewish education, often held on
Simchat Torah
Use this “Jump Bar” to directly to any letter of the AlephBet
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Appendix
Liturgy & Worship
Pronunciation
[More]
Page last updated on
Saturday, 09 July 2022 01:32 PM
(Updates are generally minor formatting or editorial changes.
Major content changes are identified as "Revisions”)
