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A Glossary of
Unfamiliar Terms
Compiled from numerous source documents
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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 Yitz’chak 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
- corban
- An offering devoted to God. Once dedicated, it can never be used for any other purpose.
Use this “Jump Bar” to directly to any letter of the AlephBet
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Appendix
Liturgy & Worship
Pronunciation
[More]
Page last updated on
Monday, 12 June 2023 11:41 AM
(Updates are generally minor formatting or editorial changes.
Major content changes are identified as "Revisions”)