Mi Yodeya Glossary

Question

A glossary!

This is for Judaism-related terms that come up on the main site whose meanings people may well not know.

To search this glossary for (e.g.) משנה, type

is:answer inquestion:581 משנה

in the search box at the top-right corner of this page and hit Enter. Note, though, that that effort may be stymied if you search using one transliteration of a word and the word is listed here with a different transliteration.

If you want the definition of a term you came across on the site, please add it to the list of proposed glossary entries, and (hopefully) someone will define it.

To those who follow a link here: If you see an answer that's inaccurate or misleading, or could be better, please go ahead and modify it if you have the knowledge.

Here's a general format for a simple entry:

עברית - english (along with any common variants)

Definition goes here, or a links to the term's tag wiki if there is one, possibly a link to Wikipedia or other reference.

For information on typing in Hebrew, have a look at this question.

Answer 1

מחבר — mechaber, m'chaber, mehaber — noun

1. composer, author
2. ("the mechaber") specifically, the author of Shulchan Aruch

Answer 2

ברכת המזון — Birkat Hamazon, Bentching, Benching — noun —

A specific prayer said after a bread-based meal. The text varies slightly by community tradition. More at Wikipedia. See also bentching.

Answer 3

ספק – safek – adjective – a doubt or uncertainty.

contrasts with

וודאי – vaday – adjective – certain

"There was a safek if the meat was from the Kosher store or not."

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ספק ספיקא– sefeik sefeika – noun – a double doubt

A principle in Halacha whereby even in certain cases where one must be strict in a doubtful situation one may be lenient if there are two different reasons to doubt the existence of a prohibition.

Answer 4

‏(תַּלְמוּד) יְרוּשָׁלְמִי — (Talmud) Yerushalmi — the Jerusalem Talmud

Answer 5

הלכה למעשה - halacha l'ma'aseh - practical halacha

Answer 6

חז"ל — Hazal, Chazal

[lit. acronym for חכמינו זכרם לברכה; our sages of blessed memory] — Used to refer collectively to the sages of the Talmud. Oftentimes referred to by default as 'the Sages'.

May be used as an adjective: Hazalic/Chazalic, to describe such works.

See also Wikipedia.

Answer 7

תשובה — teshuvah, t'shuva — noun — literally, a return

1. a reply letter to a question, especially one of Jewish law or practice
   Rabbi Schwartz spends a lot of time on each teshuvah, making sure it's correct, before he mails it.
2. (in the plural, as part of a title) such letters, published as a book
   He's reading T'shuvos Maharamash.
3. (singular only) repentance, return to God

תשובות— teshuvo, t'shuvos — plural

Answer 8

כביכול — kivyachol, kaveyachol — literally 'as with one who is able' / 'as if it were possible [to say such a thing]'

—'so to speak'
— used when saying something about God that does not apply to Him
— used to acknowledge that human-like wording is being used to describe God or His actions, yet human language is inadequate to describe Divine reality, so the expression is "as if" rather than literal.

• “then He will bring back thy captivity”. But our Rabbis learned from this that, if one can say so of God (כביכול), His Divine presence dwells with Israel in all the misery of their exile (Rashi, Deuteronomy 30:3)

Answer 9

יצר הטוב — yetzer hatov — good inclination

יצר הרע — yetzer hara — evil inclination

Answer 10

חזן — chazzan — noun —

1. The leader of any communal prayer service.
2. A professional at that job: usually, one with a good chanting and singing voice.
3. (no longer in common use) Any of various officials in a synagogue or the Holy Temple.

שליח צבור — sheliach tzibbur — noun —

1. The leader of any communal prayer service.

— ש״ץ — shatz — acronym

Answer 11

מיקל – meikel – verb – to be lenient, as in matters of law.

contrasts with

מחמיר – machmir – verb – to be stringent or strict, as in matters of law.

Rabbi Schwartz is meikil on the issue, while Rabbi Weiss is machmir.

Actually masculine singular present-tense verbs (or present participles), these are often used in English preceded by copulas, as in the example above.

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קולא – kula – noun – a leniency

contrasts with

חומרא – chumra – noun - a stringency

Answer 12

מחלל שבת -- M'Chalel Shabbat, Mchallel Shabbat, Mchalel Shabbos - [One who] desecrates the Sabbath.

חילול שבת -- Chillul Shabbat, Chilul Shabbos - Desecration of the Sabbath.

Answer 13

מִצְוָה — Mitzvah — singular noun — commandment, command; specifically, a religious command of God's or any of a particular class of rabbinic edicts classified as "mitzvah of the rabbis"

mitzvos, mitzvot — plural

Answer 14

שבע מצוות בני נח‎ Sheva mitzvot B'nei Noach -- The Seven Laws of Noah (also known as the Noahide or Noachide laws) that apply to non-Jewish people.

1. Do not worship idols or any deity other than God.
2. Do not blaspheme God.
3. Do not murder.
4. Do not engage in sexual immorality
5. Do not steal.
6. Do not eat of a live animal.
7. Establish courts/legal system to ensure law and obedience.

Answer 15

חס ושלום — chas v'shalom — roughly, Heaven forfend, God forbid

(See also more information on its etymology / literal meaning and what it's used for.)

ח״ו — ch"v — abbreviation.

Answer 16

להבדיל — lehavdil, l'havdil — literally to separate

• often used when comparing (for example) God to another being, the Torah to another book, Judaism to another creed, and Jews to Gentiles

Answer 17

חילול השם - Chillul Hashem

Desecration of Hashem's name.

For more detail see Wikipedia.

Answer 18

באַשערט — bashert —

• (originally, adjective) preordained, destined
• (thus, noun) soulmate, preordained spouse

This is from the Yiddish adjective, and you sometimes see it declined for case, gender, and number as in Yiddish: basherte, basherter, bashertn.

Answer 19

נושאי כלים - nos'ei keilim

Literally "armiger" or "arms-bearer," this word is commonly used to refer to commentaries on an earlier work (especially in halacha). For example,

Mishna Berura is among the most commonly used נושאי כלים on the Orach Chayim section of Shulchan Aruch.

^_(source)

Answer 20

בפרהסיא Bfarhesia, B'farhesia - Publicly, In Public

Answer 21

מוקצה – muktze, muktzeh – literally set aside

• forbidden to be moved on the sabbath and major festivals; see also a question about the definition of this category or a whole bunch of questions about this category
• set aside for use for a mitzva and therefore forbidden to be used for other things

This is grammatically a verb (masculine singular present tense), and other forms are also in common use:

מוקצה – muktza, muktzah – feminine singular present tense
מוקצים – muktzim – masculine plural present tense
הוקצה – huktza, huktzah – masculine singular third-person past tense
הוקצו – huktzu – plural third-person past tense

Answer 22

מקור – makor – noun – source.

On Mi Yodeya, this usually refers to a textual or similar source for a statement.

Answer 23

שיתוף‎ - shittuf - partnership.

• שותפים shutfim - partners (often, fiscal)
• עבודה בשיתוף avoda be-shittuf - worship through partnership (used to denote worshiping (or sometimes believing in) God in conjunction with another deity). Sometimes shortened to just shittuf.

Answer 24

גרמא -- Grama, G'rama, Geramah, etc.

An indirect cause.

Answer 25

הצלחה רבה--Hatslacha/Hatslaha Rabbah

lit. Great or abundant success.

Used as a blessing others success regarding a particular endeavor, or used broadly.

Answer 26

בטל ברב — Battel Berov — nullified in a majority.

בטל בשישים — Battel Beshishim — nullified in a 1:60 ratio.

בטל במאה — Battel Bemeya — nullified in a 1:100 ratio.

בטל במאתים — Battel Bemasayim or Battel Bematayim — nullified in a 1:200 ratio.

ביטול — Bittul — nullification in any of the above forms. Verb form מבטל, to nullify.

Answer 27

בשעת דחק -- bish'as dechak (sometimes בשעת הדחק -- bish'as hadechak)

In a time of great need. Lit. in a time of pressure.

Answer 28

קבלה – kabbalah, kabala – noun – literally acceptance, receiving, receipt –

1. a particular branch of Jewish study, often called "mysticism" (see also a question on it) ("he was studying kabbalah");
   sometimes coordinated with halacha ("according to kabbalah one shouldn't...")
2. a mesorah or tradition that one has received from his forebears or teachers ("I have a kabbalah that I'm a descendent of King David's")
3. something one has accepted upon himself ("I made a kabbala not to speak anything but words of Torah and prayer for one hour each day, starting at 10:00 a.m."), or an instance of such acceptance
4. the certification accorded a ritual slaughterer, or the written proof thereof

kabbalos, kabalot – plural

Answer 29

פסיק רישא - psik reisha

An unavoidable consequence of a permitted action, resulting in a melacha being performed.

See also pesik-reisha and its tag description and this question for more info.

פסיק רישא דלא ניחא ליה - psik reisha d'lo neicha lei

An unavoidable melacha that one does not desire to benefit from.

פסיק רישא דניחא ליה - psik reisha d'neicha lei

An unavoidable melacha that one desires to benefit from.

Answer 30

‏(ב)אונס — (b')Oneis - Unwilling (often used in the context of rape), against one's wishes, forced.

contrasts with

‏(ב)רצון — (b')Ratzon - Willingly, which itself has two subcategories שוגג vs מזיד.

Oneis is a Halachic category where the one forced into the situation is relieved of responsibility for the result - sin, financial damages, etc.

B'Ratzon is generally the word used as the antonym for this concept, although standing alone it often has a wider meaning. e.g. תחלתו באונס וסופו ברצון - the beginning was unwilling but the end was willing.