Showing 150 of 150 words, page 1 of 1
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alter bocher
a man that is too old not to be married
an old yeshiva student who really should have been married off by now
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arbes
Boiled chickpeas
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aveil
pl. aveilim. "Someone who is in mourning" (Glinert).
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averah
religious transgression (Glinert: "An aveirah is an infringement on the Torah, the opposite of a mitzvah.")
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ayin hara
The evil eye
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ba'al tshuvah
a Jew raised non-religious who becomes Orthodox, [lit. 'one who returns/repents']
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balaboosta
1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker
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balabotish
"Quiet; respectable; well mannered" (Rosten). "middle class"; normal
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baruch haba
"Welcome!"
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batlan
"A misfit, such as a Talmud student of no promise" (Rosten).
"naive, impractical person" (Steinmetz)
"Someone without a trade or regular means of livelihood" (Rosten).
"One who consistently wastes time: Bum, FaineĢant" (Weiser).
"Layabout" (Glinert)
"An unemployed or lazy man" (Rosten).
"Someone with intellectual pretensions and half-baked ideas" (Rosten).
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bechina
examination, particularly for rabbinic ordination
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bechira
free will
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bochur
young unmarried male, especially a yeshiva student
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bubbale
sweetie, darling [term of endearment]
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chag sameach
"Literally, 'Happy Holiday.' The traditional, all-purpose greeting exchanged on almost any Jewish holiday" (JPS).
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chap
"to comprehend" (Weiser) (lit. "to grasp")
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chas v'chalila
"heaven forbid" (Steinmetz's Yiddish and English dictionary)
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chas v'sholom
"heaven forbid" (Glinert)
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chatuna
wedding
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chayav
Guilty of transgressing. Liable.
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cherem
"excommunication; ostracism" (Yiddish)
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chrain
A spicy paste made from grated horseradish.
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chrein
horseradish
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chutzpahdik
impertinent
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drasha
"Sermon, learned address." (Glinert)
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dveykus
spiritual ecstasy; lit. "cleaving"
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einikel
grandchild
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emunah
"faith"; sometimes contrasted with practical striving in the material world
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farbrengen
Noun: a gathering or celebration that includes a spiritual or religious component.
Verb: to hold such a gathering or celebration.
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farher
noun: an oral examination, typically on one's understanding of Talmud
verb: examine, test, quiz
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fress
To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal" (JPS)
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gadol
literally "big," refers to particularly well respected rabbis; "luminary" (Weiser)
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gaon
"A title of honor for the rabbis and teachers who were the spiritual heads of the Babylonian yeshivot between the 6th and 11th centuries C.E." (JPS)
Modern Hebrew: genius (JPS)
"A rabbi whose learning was so great that he was given the honorary title of gaon" (Rosten), e.g. the Vilna Gaon
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gartel
belt, which varies in width, but is worn over the outside of the pants or coat and often tied in a symbolic way, as to differentiate it from a regular belt. It is primarily used by Chassidic Jews (and a growing number of Litvaks) for prayer, or may be used for everyday wear over a long frock coat. It symbolically differentiates the heart from the loins.
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gayve
pride; arrogance; obnoxiousness
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geferlech
Dangerous, terrible
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gehenom
Considered to be a temporary place one's soul goes after death, for atonement, before reuniting with God.
Hell (metaphoric)
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gemilas chesed
(pl. gemilas chasodim) A loan of money without interest to help a needy person.
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ger
(pl. gerim) A convert to Judaism.
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geshmak
delicious, delightful
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get
a writ or deed of divorce
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geulah
redemption
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gezerah
"evil decree" (Steinmetz)
"An authoritative command either to perform or to refrain from performing a particular act" (Weiser)
"an addition to a previously existing precept" (Weiser)
In Jewish law, a prohibition enacted by the Sages as a measure to protect religious observance under changed conditions.
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glatt
Super-kosher (not only of food), or acceptable to the Haredi community.
Showing consistency of reason (Weiser).
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goyish
"in the manner or style of a non-Jewish person" (JPS), especially something WASPy or "white bread"
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gramen
rhymes; especially a rhyming poem or song
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gurnisht
"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)
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gut voch
"Good week!" Ashkenazi greeting at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
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gut yontef
"Happy holiday!" Ashkenazi greeting used on any of the holidays, including Rosh Hashanahh and Yom Kippur.
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gut yor
"Good year!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Hashanah.
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hachnasas orchim
hospitality (lit. "bringing in guests")
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hashgacha
Divine providence, interference, attention
Rabbinic supervision designating food as kosher
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hashpa'ah
motivating force, source for change in one's actions, influence
influence, or effect, particularly on one's character, development, and/or behavior
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hechsher
(Rabbinic) stamp or seal of approval-- typically designating a product as kosher
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heter
rabbinic allowance
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kaboles ponem
the reception before a wedding ceremony, consisting of a tish (for men) and a bedeken (for women). Lit. 'receiving the faces'.
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kaparot
Ritual performed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to remove sins carried out by swinging a chicken over ones head.
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kashe
A question posing some difficulty because of apparent inconsistencies with accepted premises: problem. A tough, perplexing question.
Question, difficulty (Steinmetz), challenge, objection.
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kedai
"worth it" (Weiser)
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kein yirbu
"So they may increase in number"
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keinehora
"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)
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khnyok
a mean or bigoted person
a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou religious person
an unkempt or slovenly person
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kimat
"almost or nearly" (Weiser)
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kishka
"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)
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kivyakhol
Substitute or euphemism for God's name, similar to Hashem
"As if", "so to speak," can be used to refer to anthropomorphic language about God
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kuntz
peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)
strategy (Weiser)
feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity
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l'hachis
spitefully; deliberately; literally "in order to anger"
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lamden
a proficient Talmudic scholar
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leibedik
lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt
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lekech
"Honey cake, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah... made with honey, eggs, cinnamon, and, often, coffee" (JPS).
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levaye
funeral
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leytsanus
silliness; buffoonery
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lo aleynu
"I hope it won't happen to us"; "God forbid" lit. "not unto us"
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madrega
level, especially spiritual level
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maidel
girl
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matzeivah
headstone
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mazik
a mischievous person, often a child
(with verb "to be") to ruin partially; damage (Yeshivish usage)
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mazume
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
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mesiras nefesh
self-sacrifice
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mise meshune
horrible, violent, or unnatural death, often used as a curse
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moshl
parable, example
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musar
reproof; system of ethics; discipline
a Jewish ethical movement that crystallized among non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews in Lithuania in the 19th century, led by Israel Salanter, focusing on character development.
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nafke mine
practical difference
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nebach
interjection, adverb: "unfortunately"; noun: an unfortunate person
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nes
miracle
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nifter
deceased
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ongepotchket
overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly
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pasken
to rule halachically
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patur
not liable, exempt
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pekel
little bundle
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pintele yid
"essential Jewishness"
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poshet
simple
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posl
invalid
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pritse
an immodest woman
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prost
coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common
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psak
rabbinic ruling
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rachmones
mercy, pity, empathy
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ruchnies
spirituality
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safek
A doubt or doubtful case.
"Unresolved question: Uncertainty" (Weiser)
"Doubt in the integrity of: Suspicion" (Weiser)
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sefer
"A literary composition written particularly of, on, or about the Torah" (Weiser)
Hebrew or Aramaic book
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seforim
Religious books written in Hebrew or Aramaic.
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segula
Folk remedy, safeguard, superstitious action, talisman
divinely bestowed reward as a result of an individual's participation in a minhag or mitzvah
"procedure that is not based on medical or scientific logic yet is efficacious in improving a situation or protecting a person from harm" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segula_(Kabbalah))
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shaila
a question, usually while looking for a halachic ruling
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Shayach
Pertinent, relevant (Steinmetz).
1. Capable of being true or believable: Conceivable. / 2. Capable of being done: Surmountable / 3. Practical, reasonable, or possible: Feasible. (Weiser)
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shpatzir
literally 'to walk, take a stroll'; figuratively 'to delay, tarry, procrastinate'
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shvach
weak, pathetic, (a place or gathering that is) lacking in activity
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shver
difficult, onerous, complex
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tachrichim
burial shrouds
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tate
dad
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titchadesh
"Use it in good health" or "Enjoy your new item"
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tzadik
A highly learned and esteemed rabbinic leader (sometimes used as an alternative name for a Hasidic rebbe).
Common name for the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (tzadi / tzade).
Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.
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tzimmes
"A prolonged procedure, and involved business, a mix-up" (Rosten).
"A sweet, baked dish of vegetables or fruit. Carrot tzimmes, a popular version, includes carrots, sweet potatoes, dried apricots, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon" (JPS).
"Troubles, difficulties, a contretemps" (Rosten).
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veiter
"Further; next." (Steinmetz)
"More distant: Farther." (Weiser)
"At a more advanced point: Further." (Weiser)
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vort
a short lesson derived from the Torah; an engagement party, named after the short speech usually delivered in honor of the couple
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yetzer hara
Lit. 'the evil inclination'
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yichus
Bragging rights based on respected family history
"Pedigree, lineage, family background." (JPS)
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yid
a Jewish person
A derogatory term used by non-Jews for a Jewish person (particularly so in Great Britain).
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yiddishkeit
"Jewishness"; sometimes used interchangeably with 'Judaism' or 'Jewish culture'
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yiras shamayim
"awe of heaven"
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yosem
orphan
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yotzei
released from a religious obligation by dint of completion or fulfillment; "to have done what's required" (Glinert)
(with the helping verb "to be," and an object where required) to fulfill, as a mitzvah or some figurative obligation
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zivug
(n.) mate, predestined match
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