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A Glossary of
Unfamiliar Terms
Compiled from numerous source documents
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M m
ma’al betrayal
ma’amad ha’banim the
standing as sons
ma’aminim believers
ma’arav ambush
ma’arav west
ma’aseh haemunah work
of faith
ma’aseh tov good deed
ma’asei haChoshech
works of darkness
ma’aser tithe (a tenth portion) given to the
Kohen, the Levite, or the poor (pl. Ma’asrot; alt. maasros)
ma’asim works
ma’asim hamitzvot
works of the commandments
ma’asim hara’im evil
deeds
ma’asim metim dead
works
ma’asim tovim good
deeds; works
ma’avak struggle
ma’ayanot springs;
sources
ma’on permanent
residence
ma’ot chittim money
for wheat; financial contributions
Maamad
“Station”groups of lay people who assisted the Levites at the daily
sacrifices one week a year
maamadot
contributions
maamin Meshichi
Messianic believer
maariv evening prayer
service … evening prayers after sunset
maasros (alt.
ma’aser) tithe
mabbul flood
machah to stroke or
rub; by implication to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e.
grease or make fat; also to touch, i.e. reach to abolish, blot
out, destroy, full of marrow, put out, reach unto, utterly, wipe
(away, out)
machalifei hakesafim
moneychangers
machaloket
controversy
machaloket division
of dissension
machanot encamping
armies
machla illness
machlokot divisions
of dissension
machmir stickler
machovim sorrows
machsh’vot thoughts
machshavah thought
machshelah ruin
machshiv respect
machsor shortage;
want
Machzor (Repetition)
High Holy Day prayer book. In some Orthodox synagogues, a special
prayer bookalso known as a machzor is used on the
Pilgrimage Festivals
madduchei shav false
enticement; delusion
madon strife; quarrel
mafte’ach key
Maftir Last part of
Torah reading on a given Shabbos or festival … the man who is
“called up” to the reading of the concluding passage
Magen Avot a short
summary of the Sabbath amidah prayer recited on Sabbath Eve after
the silent prayer
maggid
darshan; preacher, generally itinerant, and popular because of
his clever parables … narration
Maggid of Mezritch
Reb Dov Ber of Mezritch; main disciple of the
Ba’al Shem Tov and leader of the
Chassidic movement after him; also a disciple of the Pnei
Yehoshua; born 1704; died 19 Kislev, 1772; mentor of the whole next
generation of Chassidic Rebbes.
Mah Nishtanah Four
Questions; at the beginning of the
Passover
Seder, the youngest child traditionally asks the “Four
Questions” which prompt the leader of the Seder to explain the
significance of Passover to the celebrants
makhaneh camp
makhar tomorrow
makkah plague
makor fountain
malach angel (pl.
malachim)
malbush clothing
male no’am full of
pleasantness
malkah queen
malkosh spring rain
malkot the penalty of
lashing
Malkut Shamayim The
Kingdom of Heaven
malon inn
malshin informer;
accuser
mamashus real worth
mamlechot kingdoms
mammon ill-gained
money
manhigim leaders
manhigut leadership
manhigut ruchanit
spiritual leadership / administration
mamzer
bastard, child of incest, illegitimate child
- bastard
- mixed population (fig.)
- born of a Jewish father and a heathen mother or visa versa
manoach resting place
maot chitim (alt.
maoz chittin) lit. wheat money … money collected prior to
Passover to assist the needy to celebrate the holiday and to buy
special Passover foods
maoz fortress
Maoz Tsur cest-known
Chanukkah song. An English version of the song is entitled “Rock
of Ages.”
mareh vision
maror hitter, ground
horseradish … a bitter herb such as horseradish, symbolizing the
bitter plight of the enslaved Israelites; one of the symbolic foods
used on the
seder plate
marot visions
Marranoes forcibly
converted Jews in Spain
marut authority; rule
marzipan a confection
made of almond paste and sugar and molded into small shapes, usually
of fruits and vegetables
masah trial (pl.
masot)
Mashgiach Ruchani
Spiritual Overseer
Mashiach, מָשִׁ֖יחַ (alt. Moshiach) Messiah, anointed, an anointed one.
In Israel three classes of persons were anointed for their office of
service: prophets, priests, and kings. Yeshua HaMashiach is all
three: Prophet, Priest, and King, hence The Anointed One
“The Hebrew word mashiach (or moshiach) refers to the Jewish idea of the messiah. Mashiach means anointed, a meaning preserved in the English word derived from it, messiah. The Messiah is to be a human leader, physically descended from the Davidic line, who will rule and unite the people of Israel and will usher in the Messianic Age of global and universal peace. While the name of Jewish Messiah is considered to be one of the things that precede creation, he is not considered divine, in contrast to Christianity where Jesus is both divine and the Messiah.
In biblical times the title mashiach was awarded to someone in a high position of nobility and greatness. For example, Cohen ha-Mašíaḥ means High Priest. In the Talmudic era the title mashiach or מלך המשיח, Méleḫ ha-Mašíaḥ (in the Tiberian vocalization is pronounced Méleḵ haMMāšîªḥ) literally means “the anointed King”. It is a reference to the Jewish leader and king that will redeem Israel in the end of days and usher in a messianic era of peace and prosperity for both the living and deceased.”
[“Jewish Eschatology” at
The
Spiritual Life , accessed 21 November 2021.]
mashkeh drink
maskana outcome
maso panim
favoritism; partiality
masoret tradition
Masoretic Text the
accepted Hebrew text of scriptures, the first Hebrew writing to
contain vowel points as an aid to pronunciation, developed in the
9th century C.E.
masot trials /
temptations (sg. masah)
matanah gift (pl.
matanot)
matanot tovot good
gifts
matarah objective
mateh deceiver
matnat hachesed free
gift of grace
Matnat HaTzedakah the
gift of righteousness
matnat kesef gift of
money
matsevot gravestones
matsli’ach successful
mattah below
mattan torah (alt.
matan) the giving of the law or instruction
mattanah free gift
mattanot le-evyonim
giving to the poor
Mattityahu Matthew;
The Gospel According to Matthew; first book of the B;’rit Chadasha
presenting Yeshua HaMashiach in his role as HaMelech
matzah
(alt. matzo, pl. matzot) “without leaven”; a
flat bread made without adding leavening (yeast or baking
powder). Called the “bread of affliction.” Unleavened bread …
The unleavened bread eaten in recollection of the hurried
departure from Egypt; the eating of matzah is obligatory only at
the seder
matzo tash (Yid.)
a baglike fabric container used for the three ritual wafers of
unleavened bread at the
seder
matzpun
conscience
matzpun
naki clear conscience
mavet death
mavo introduction
mayim water
mayim hayim living
water
mazal tov good luck;
congratulations
mazikim malicious
spirits
me’ah vchamishim
ushloshah one hundred and fifty three
me’onot dwelling
places; permanent residences; homes
me’ushar blessedness
meah kevasim a
hundred sheep
meayen engaged in
research
mechabed honor
mechila pardon;
forgiveness
Mechilta Halakhic
midrash to Exodus
mechitzah the
dividing partition
medakdeke
painstakingly thorough
Medieval relating to
or characteristic of the Middle Ages
mefakkechim stewards;
supervisors
mefarsem make known
megadef reviler (pl.
megadefim)
megareia weakened
megillah(alt. megilah) lit. scroll; there are five megillot
in the Bible. The one we read on
Sukkot is Ecclesiastes, on
Purim is Esther, on
Pesach is Song of Songs, on
Shavuot is Ruth, and on
Tishah Be’av is Lamentations (pl. megillot)
meid provide
testimony; attest
mekabel receiving;
accepting
mekanne jealous;
envious
mekhonen founder
mekom linah guest
room
mekom megurim
dwelling place
mekor basis
mekor passage;
citation
melach salt
melachah work
melammed instructor
melech king (pl.
melachim)
melitz echad oone mediator
melo plentitude
memayet precluded;
excluded
memshalah government;
dominion
mena’afim adulterers
Meni pagan moon
goddess
menorahthe Lamp of the Sanctuary … a 7-branched candelabra
representing the lampstand that stood in the Holy Place within the
Temple … a version with eight branches plus the
shamash
(a Chanukkiah) is used during Chanukka, in celebration of the
Maccabean victory over the Greeks and the rededication of the Temple
(pl. Menorot)
menuchah (alt.
menuhan) resting place
meorer point out;
rekindle, stimulate; motivate; shtarken
mered revolt;
uprising
merirut lev
bitterness
merivah strife
merkavot chariots
mesader arrange;
place in succession
meshabed caused to be
obligated
meshalim parables
meshalle’ach sender
mesharet minister;
servant
mesharetim ministers;
servants
meshichei sheker
false Mashiachs
meshubad obligated
meshummad apostate
mesibot parties
mesim deceased ones
mesiras nefesh self
sacrifice
Mesorah the
traditional essential requirements in the writing of a Torah Scroll
Messiah English
transliteration of Hebrew Mashiach or Moshiach, meaning “The
Anointed One” of G‑d who was to come to fill all three offices for
which one must receive anointing; prophet, priest, and king; the
promised Redeemer
Messianic Communitythe
called-out community of Believers in Messiah; used to refer to the
entire Body of Messiah as a whole, as well as the local
congregation. I use the terms Miqra, Messianic Community, and Body of Messiah interchangeably.
Messianic hatafah
preaching Mashiach
mesupak uncertain;
doubting
metohar purified
metoharim clean
metsakhim foreheads
metzorah a leper (pl.
metzoraim)
mevugar mature; adult
(pl. mevugarim
meyayesh despairing
mezarez a spur into
action
mezimma evil design;
intrigue
mezuzah(lit. doorpost) a ritual object consisting of a casing
and a
klaf that is put on the doorpost(s) of the house (pl. mezuzot)
michshol stumbling
block (pl. michsholim)
michyah subsistence .
midah hatov the
attribute of virtue
midas chasidus
quality of piety
Midat Hadin the
Divine Attribute of Justice
midbar wilderness
midrash(1) homiletical interpretation of the Scriptures;
exegesis; commentary (pl. Midrashim)
(2) a collection of works compiled between the third and twelfth
centuries that seeks out underlying truths and meanings of the
Bible; they are the result of the process of delving into the
ramifications of a biblical verse and of the ancient rabbis’ reading
“between the lines” of Scripture
mifkad census
migdal tower
mikdash me’at lit. a
small sanctuary; refers to the home
mikhla fold
[enclosure]
mikvah
(alt. miqvah) a pool of “living” water conforming to certain
dimensions and specifications, used for legal and spiritual purposes
… also called by the Latin term “ritularium” … the ritual bathing
(immersion) in the pool … Christian “baptism” is a based upon this
concept, but has been changed from the practice followed by the
early Messianic Believers. (see
tevilah)
milah circumcision
milchamot wars
mimeila consequently;
as a result
minchah from an
unused root mean. to apportion, i.e. bestow; a donation; euphem.
tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and
voluntary) gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice …
afternoon prayer; name of Temple sacrifice … evening prayers during
the day … a gift offering in the Sanctuary … an offering made of
flour and oil (pl. Menachot)
minhag custom (pl
minhagim)
minim apostates,
heretics; a derogatory term for early (1st and early 2nd century)
Jewish Believers in Messiah
minut heresy;
apostasy
minyan
quorum of ten adult Jews necessary for public prayer.
Minyan (Hebrew: “number”), plural Minyanim, or Minyans, in
Judaism, the minimum number of males (10) required to constitute a
representative “community of Israel” for liturgical purposes. A
Jewish boy of 13 may form part of the quorum after his Bar Mitzvah
(religious adulthood). When a minyan is lacking for synagogue
services, those who have gathered merely recite their prayers as
private individuals. There is thus no public reading from the Torah
(first five books of the Bible) and no Hafṭarah (selection from the
prophetic books of the Bible). Such invocations as the Kaddish and
qedusha are likewise omitted, for none of these is considered
appropriate unless the “Jewish community” prays as one.
(Britannica.com,
“Minyan”, accessed 3 May 2020)
miqra
arqm
(alt. miqrah, mikra, mikrah) something or someone “called out” … a
public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a
rehearsal, assembly, calling, convocation, reading … equivalent to
Greek ekklesia,
[alt. ecclesia] called-out ones, erroneously (and we believe
deliberately and anti-Semitically) translated “church” in the KJV,
which error has continued in later English translations of the
Scriptures. There is no valid linguistic reason for translating the
word “ekklesia” or for referring to the people of Mashiach as “the
church” — it is only a Gentile tradition. We use the terms Miqra,
Messianic Community, and Body of Messiah interchangeably.
miqvah (alt.
mikvah) a pool of water conforming to certain dimensions and
specifications, used for legal and spiritual purposes … also called
in Latin a “ritularium” … the ritual bathing in the pool … Christian
immersion of new believers is an equivalent practice
miqveh something
waited for, i.e. confidence; also a collection, i.e. (of water) a
pond, or (of men and horses) a caravan or drove abiding, gathering
together, hope, linen yarn, plenty [of water], pool
mir’eh pasture
mirmah deceit
mishcha ointment
mishkan a residence
(including a shepherd’s hut, the lair of animals; figuratively the
grave); also the Temple; specifically the Tabernacle (prop. its
wooden walls) to dwell, a dwelling (place), habitation,
tabernacle, tent … the Sanctuary Tent
mishlo’ach manot the
sending of “portions” to friends on
Purim
mishma’at obedience
Mishnah מִשְׁנָה
“study by repetition,” from the verb shanah שנה, or “to study
and review,” also “secondary”) is the first major written collection
of the Jewish oral traditions known as the “Oral Torah,” edited by
Rabbi Judah HaNasi (c. 135 to 220 C.E.) about 200 C.E. It is the
first major work of Rabbinic literature. Together with the
Gemara, it forms the
Talmud.
mishpachah
(alt. mishpakhah, mishpochah) a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively a class (of persons), a species (of
animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
family, kindred
mishpachot (alt.
mishpakhot, mishpokhot) relatives
mishpat judgment (pl.
mishpatim)
mishpat mavet a death
sentence
Mishpatim a portion
in the Book of Exodus
mishpoyel standing in
awe
mishrah rule
mishtatef involved;
joining
mispar number
mitamuhl suddenly
mitarev meddlesome
mitnagged opponent
mitnaggedim opponents
Mitzbe’ach; altar
mitznefet head
wrapping
Mitzrayim Hebraic
equivalent of “Egypt.” Spiritually, a picture of the world and the
world’s system
mitzvah מִצְוָה (alt.
mitzvoh) a religious precept or obligation; one
of the 613 commandments in the Torah … principle for living, good
deed; instruction (pl.
mitzvot)
mitzvat aseh a
positive command; a commandment-to-do
mitzvat lo ta’aseh a
prohibition; a commandment-not-to-do
mitzvot divine commandments given by Hashem to Moshe Rebbenu;
divine commandments (sg.
mitzvah)
mizmor hymn; psalm
Mizmor Letodah Psalm
101 recited daily to commemorate the Thanksgiving Offering in the
Sanctuary
mizrach east
mo’adim fixed
times/seasons/festivals; “The designated times of ADONAI
which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are My designated times” (Leviticus 23).
They include the weekly Shabbat, Pesach (Passover), Unleavened
Bread, First Fruits, Shavu'ot (Pentecost), Shofarim (Trumpets, Yom
Teru'ah), Yom Kippur (Atonement), and Sukkot (Booths/Tabernacles).
mo’ed (alt. mow’ed)
an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically a
festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as
convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by
extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed
beforehand) appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly,
congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn
(-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed)
mochesim
tax-collectors
mochiach one
arbitrator
modeh ani I give
thanks
mofet example; role
model
moftim miracles;
wonders
Mohel A Rabbi
specifically trained and authorized to perform ritual circumcision
(pl. Mohalim)
moineia prevented
moked fire
Molad, Molad Halevanah
the appearance of the new Moon (pl. Moladot)
morech lev
cowardliness
moreh teacher
Moreh Tzaddikim
teacher of righteousness
mori my teacher
moshav hashafel low
seat
Moshe
Hebrew name of Moses
moshel governor (pl.
moshelim)
Moshiach (alt.
Mashiach, Moshi’a) Messiah, Savior
Moshieynu our
Deliverer
moshlim rulers
Motza’ei Shabbat (alt.
Shabat) the night following the Sabbath
Motzi (alt. Hammotzee,
Hamotzi) Literally: [God] who brings forth [bread]; blessing over
bread; standard blessing before meals at which bread is served … one
of the fifteen phases of the Seder ceremony
Mount Moriah The
Temple site at Jerusalem; also reputed to be the mountain where
Avraham bound his son Yitz’chak to the altar.
Mount Sinai The
mountain from which the Torah was given by G‑d to Moshe
mufkarim lawless ones
muktzeh an object
forbidden to carry on the Sabbath and Festival because of its not
being fit or meant for use on that day
mumim defects
murshe proxy
musar teaching with
an ethical point
mussaf
(alt. musaf) “added” prayer service for Sabbaths and Festivals,
immediately following morning prayer … the additional whole offering
in the Sanctuary prescribed by the Torah for Sabbaths, Festivals and
New Moons; Today: an additional Amidah prayer on said days as
against the additional sacrifices
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Appendix
Liturgy & Worship
Pronunciation
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Page last updated on
Monday, 12 June 2023 11:41 AM
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