Edomite
European non-Jew (Talmudic term for Roman)
Erusin
formal betrothal that cannot be annulled without a divorce but does not allow the couple to live together
Gehenna
hell, populated by evil spirits and souls of the recent dead
Get
Jewish bill of divorce
Havdalah
Saturday evening ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath
Kavanah
serious intention before praying or performing a mitzvah
Ketubah
Jewish marriage contract given by the groom to the bride specifying his obligations during the marriage and in the event of divorce or his death
Kuntres
notes and commentary explaining the Talmudic text
Lauds
second of seven canonical hours, approximately 3 a.m.
Lillit
demon responsible for killing newborn babies and women in childbirth, Adam’s first wife
Livre
a pound, unit of money equal to 240 deniers
Matins
first canonical hour, midnight
Matzah
unleavened bread eaten during Passover
Mazikim
demons, evil spirits
Midrash
genre of rabbinic commentary that expands and explains the biblical text, generally used to refer to non-legal material
Mishkav zachur
sexual relations between men, literally lying with a male
Mikvah
ritual bath used for purification, particularly by women when no longer
niddah
Mitzvah
(plural
mitzvot
) divine commandment
Mohel
(fem:
mohelet
) one who performs a ritual circumcision
Motzitzin
drawing the blood after circumcision to help heal the wound
Niddah
a menstruating woman
Nisuin
ceremony that completes the marriage, followed by cohabitation
Notzrim
polite Jewish word for Christians; literally those who worship the one from Nazareth
Parnas
leader, or mayor, of Jewish community
Priah
thin membrane between the foreskin and the baby’s penis
Prime
dawn, third of seven canonical hours, approximately 6 a.m.
Rosh yeshiva
headmaster of a Talmud academy
Seder
ceremony observed in a Jewish home on the first two nights of Passover
Selichot
prayers for forgiveness, also the special religious service that takes place at midnight on the Saturday night preceding Rosh Hashanah
Sepharad
Spain
Sext
noon
Shiva
seven days of mourning following the death of a relative
Souper
supper, evening meal
Sukkah
booth in which Jews dwell during the harvest festival of Sukkot
Tahara
preparation of the corpse for burial
Talmid chacham
great Jewish scholar
Tefillin
phylacteries, small leather cases containing passages from scripture worn by Jewish men while reciting morning prayers
Trencher
piece of day-old bread used to hold meat (instead of a plate)
Vespers
sixth of seven canonical hours, approximately 6 p.m.
Yeshiva
Talmud academy
Yetzer hara
evil inclination, usually refers to the sexual urge
Yetzer tov
inclination to good