Bar Mitzvah, a History

Glossary

261 Glossary aggadah. The parts of rabbinic literature that can be described as homily, story, or narrative rather than legal discussions, or in Hebrew halakhah. Almemar. Alternative name for the bimah. ascamot. The formal rules of a Sephardic synagogue following the Spanish and Portuguese tradition. Ashkenaz. Term used during the Middle Ages and beyond to designate northern France, Germany, and Austria. Ashkenazic. Up to about the year 1600 this term was used specifically to denote the Jews of Ashkenaz; more recently, it has been extended to include all those carrying the traditions of Jews living in Christian Europe. aufruf. Yiddish term meaning “call up,” used especially for the calling of a bridegroom to the reading of the Torah on the Shabbat before his wedding . Bemidbar. A sedra from the Book of Numbers (1:1–4:19). bimah. Platform in the center or at the front of a synagogue, with a desk for the reading of the Torah. brit milah. Circumcision. Chabad (or Chabad-Lubavitch). Hasidic group that has adopted a worldwide outreach mission. Today they form the world’s largest single Jewish organization . chuppah. Term used in the Bible and rabbinic literature to denote the bridal chamber. Since the sixteenth century the term has been used to denote a portable canopy under which a wedding ceremony takes place. derashah (also darush, droshe). A speech based on midrash. Gaon (pride). Rabbinic title first used for the head of the two important academies in Babylon and later for a few other rabbis of distinction. gematria. Every Hebrew letter can be used as a number; in gematria the numerical equivalent of the letters in a word are added up in order to find a hidden meaning. 262 glossary haftarah. Hebrew for “conclusion.” Term used for a reading from one of the Hebrew prophets from the Bible, read after the Torah reading on Sabbaths and on fasts and festivals. haham. Chief rabbi of a Sephardic community, especially of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, London. halakhah. The law or the rules of behavior on a particular subject, as agreed to by the rabbis. From this word is derived an English adjective, halachic. Hanukkah. Winter eight-day festival. Candles are lit each night in the home to celebrate the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees in 164 bce. hanukkat habayit. Celebration for the dedication of a new home. Hasidei Ashkenaz. Pietistic group in twelfth- and thirteenth-century Germany . Hasidim (adj., hasidic). Ultraorthodox pietistic groups with distinctive clothing for men, originally based in Eastern Europe but now found all over the world. havdalah. Ceremony for the end of Shabbat, with candle, wine, and spices. hazzan. Term originally denoting an overseer, with the same meaning as the Christian term bishop. Since the sixteenth century it is the term used for a cantor who sings or chants the prayers and scriptural readings. Kabbalah (adj., kabbalistic). A body of literature that uses (sometimes openly but often in a concealed fashion) the imagery of the sefirot to describe aspects of God. Kaddish. A prayer in praise of God, written in Aramaic, which from the time of Rashi has been recited regularly by mourners. Ki Tissa. A sedra from the Book of Exodus (30:11–34:35). Kiddush (sanctification). (1) Blessing said over a cup of wine on Shabbat and festivals, declaring the day holy. (2) Provision of food and drink in a synagogue after the service, to accompany the blessing. kippah, pl. kippot. Disc-shaped cap worn on the head. maftir. The person who reads the haftarah, traditionally after being called up for the repetition of the last few sentences of the week’s Torah portion. machzor. Prayer book for festival or High Holy Day worship. Marranos. Term used in Spain and Portugal for Christians of Jewish ancestry suspected of living Jewish lives secretly. Also known as “Conversos”; certain groups were also called “New Christians.” midrash, pl. midrashim (inquiry). (1) A homiletic comment or story that quotes a biblical text or texts to make its point. (2) A compilation of such comments on a particular theme or biblical book. (3) The whole body of such rabbinic literature. Mishnah (M). The earliest and most important compendium of rabbinic teaching, thought to have been compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi about glossary 263 200 ce. Conflicting opinions are frequently cited in it. The English translation is about eight hundred pages long. The Mishnah is divided into six separate sections...