{"id":2837,"date":"2023-10-02T16:22:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T14:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casalebraica.org\/jewish-glossary"},"modified":"2023-11-30T18:29:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T17:29:25","slug":"glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.casalebraica.org\/en\/glossary","title":{"rendered":"Jewish Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1497.6px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"menu_lettere d-flex flex-row\">\n                    <a href=\"#A\" class=\"lettera\">A<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#B\" class=\"lettera\">B<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#C\" class=\"lettera\">C<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#H\" class=\"lettera\">H<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#K\" class=\"lettera\">K<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#M\" class=\"lettera\">M<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#N\" class=\"lettera\">N<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#P\" class=\"lettera\">P<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#R\" class=\"lettera\">R<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#S\" class=\"lettera\">S<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#T\" class=\"lettera\">T<\/a>\n                \n                    <a href=\"#Y\" class=\"lettera\">Y<\/a>\n                <\/div><h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"A\">A<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Aron haKodesh\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cHoly Ark\u201d. The Ark is generally placed on the eastern side of the Synagogue, that is on the side towards Jerusalem. It contains the <em>Torah<\/em> scrolls, with their ornamental dressings.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Atarah or K\u00e9ter\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>It is the crown in silver, rarely in wood, used as an ornament for the <em>Sefer Torah<\/em>. It symbolizes the regality of the divine law. The oldest <em>atarot<\/em> (plural of <em>atarah<\/em>) date to the XVII century. In Piedmont, the majority are in silver with dedications or bible verses embossed or chiseled on the ring base or in another location; they are often embellished with images from Jewish symbolism.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"B\">B<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Bar\/Bat-Mitzwah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cSon of the commandment\u201d. Upon reaching the age of thirteen, boys are required to keep the laws that all Jewish men must fulfil. From then on they are counted in the <em>minyan<\/em>, the quorum of adult men necessary for public prayer. This term is also used to indicate the ritual celebration in which for the first time the boy is called up for the public reading of the <em>Torah<\/em>. The female equivalent is the <em>bat-mitzvah<\/em>. This ceremony is held when a girl turns twelve years of age and has only become a ritual celebration in recent generations.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Bessamim\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cFragrances\u201d. Fragrant spices used during the ritual separating of <em>Shabbat<\/em> or other holidays from the rest of the week (<em>Havdalah<\/em>). According to ancient tradition, the sabbatical soul leaves the body at the end of the <em>Shabbat<\/em>, its lack is painful to the point of provoking faintness that the aromatic herbs should prevent or alleviate. The most commonly used <em>bessamim<\/em> holders are shaped like Gothic bell towers, sometimes of Oriental inspiration, and are made of embossed or cast silver, often in filigree.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Bet haKeneset\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cSynagogue\u201d. House of gathering, prayer and study. The handwritten <em>Torah<\/em> scrolls are kept in the Synagogue, in the <em>Aron haKodesh<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Bet haMikdash\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The Temple in Jerusalem that was the center of ancient Jewish worship. It was built by King Salomon (in about 1000 BCE), destroyed a first time by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, then rebuilt and destroyed once again in 70 CE by the Romans.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"C\">C<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Challah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The bread eaten on the <em>Shabbat<\/em> and holidays; it is covered with a cloth before the blessing is recited. Two braided loaves are served at each festive meal, to commemorate the double portion of manna that fell in the desert on Friday or the day before the holiday.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Hanukkah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The Festival of Lights, which commemorates the rededication of the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus IV of Syria, in 164 BCE. In the Temple there was only one small bottle of pure oil bearing the seal of the High Priest; according to tradition, it took eight days to prepare the pure oil (obtained from the first drops that emerged from the pressed olives). There was only enough oil for the lamp to burn for one day, yet miraculously it burned for the eight days needed to prepare the new purified oil. The festival is celebrated between the end of November and the end of December, it lasts eight days during which the eight lights of the ritual lamp (<em>hanukkiah<\/em>) are lit, one more each day.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Hanukkiah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The lamp with eight branches plus the <em>shamash<\/em>, the servant light, which must never be the same as the others, but always placed higher or lower, or in an otherwise misaligned position. It is lit during the holiday of <em>Hanukkah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"H\">H<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Haggadah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cStory telling\u201d. The anthology of biblical and post-biblical passages, poetry, psalms and prayer rituals recited at <em>Seder<\/em>, the Passover ceremony that takes place in a joyous familiar atmosphere and centers around the traditional evening meal. The text includes comments, translations and artistic illustrations.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Havdalah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cDistinction, separation\u201d. This is the name of the brief ceremony, held at nightfall, that marks the end of the Shabbat and other holidays.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"K\">K<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kabbalah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cTradition received\u201d. This name refers to a set of mystical and theosophical teachings, based on audacious interpretations of some chapters in the Bible, that have been passed down through history. Kabbalah flourished in the Middle Ages, especially in Southern France and Spain. An understanding of the mystical philosophy of the <em>Kabbalah<\/em> requires a certain amount of training and is thus a privilege that few scholars enjoy.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kosher\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cSuitable\u201d. This term refers to all that which conforms to the traditional laws governing the Jewish way of life. In particular it refers to the strict set of rules regarding the preparation of food and beverages.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Ketubah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Marriage contract written in Aramaic using Hebrew letters given by the groom to the bride on their wedding day, which is then given to the wife\u2019s family for safekeeping. The <em>ketubah<\/em>, which is often richly decorated, outlines the husband\u2019s obligations and guarantees support for the wife in case of her husband\u2019s death, or payment in the event of divorce.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kiddush\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201csanctification\u201d, \u201cblessing of the wine\u201d. It is the ceremony during which prayers and blessings are recited over a glass of wine to sanctify the <em>Shabbat<\/em> and holidays. The basis of reciting the kiddush is to differentiate between sacred time, proclaiming its holiness, and profane time.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kippah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Small round skullcap traditionally worn by Jews as a sign of respect in the presence of God. Jews always pray with their heads covered for this reason.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kippur\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cAtonement\u201d. A holy day of fasting and prayer for the forgiveness of individual and collective sins. It falls in autumn and marks the end of the ten-day period of repentance that began at New Year. Jews are not allowed to eat or drink anything from sundown until the first stars appear in the sky the following day.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Kotel\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The Western Wall of the ancient Sanctuary of Jerusalem, mistakenly called the Wailing Wall, is the most sacred location of Judaism, where Jews meet in meditation and prayer and in whose crevices are inserted notes with plans and prayers. Today, the Wall is all that remains of the location of the First and Second Temples, the latter definitively destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"M\">M<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Maghen David\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cShield of David\u201d. This is the name of the six-pointed star, or hexagram, formed by two overlapping triangles, also known as the \u201cStar of David\u201d. It has become the symbol of Judaism and of the State of Israel.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Mappah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>tbd<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Matzah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cAzzimah\u201d. Flat, unleavened, salt-free bread eaten by Jews during the Passover holiday, when they are not allowed to eat leavened products. <em>Matzah<\/em> is also known as \u201cthe bread of affliction\u201d, meaning the bread eaten by the poor and by slaves. It recalls the slavery of the Jews in Egypt and the hasty nature of their exodus, during which the bread, which they had previously prepared, did not have time to rise.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Meghillah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally, a \u201croll\u201d. It is the name used for the five books of the Hagiography (Ruth, the Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Ester) because they are read from scrolls written separately by the scribes. The <em>Meghillah<\/em> does not have the same sacredness as the <em>Sefer Torah<\/em>, which is why it was often illustrated during Medieval times.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Meil\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cMantle\u201d. The cover that is wrapped around the Torah. Sephardic Jews, especially in North Africa, traditionally use a large wooden case, called tik, instead.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Menorah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The traditional seven-branched lamp. Mentioned in the Torah, it was used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, as depicted in the relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome. Nowadays it is a purely symbolic object that is part of the emblem of the State of Israel.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Mezuzah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>A case containing a parchment, prepared by a scribe, bearing two paragraphs from the <em>Shemah<\/em> (Deuteronomy 6, 4-9; 11, 13-21), one of the main Jewish prayers. The <em>mezuzah<\/em> is affixed on the right side of the doorway to the home. It is arranged slightly diagonally with the top leaning inwards, to bless the home and show that it is protected by God. The <em>mezuzah<\/em> is the literal fulfilment of the commandment to inscribe the words of Gd on the \u201cdoorposts of your house\u201d (Deuteronomy 6, 9). It is not a good-luck charm.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Mikveh\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201cgathering\u201d, intended as a collection of water. The current usage of mikveh indicates the bath for ritual immersion. The word mikveh is found the first time in Genesis 1, 10: \u201cGod called the dry land earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas\u201d.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Milah or Brit Milah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cCircumcision\u201d or \u201cCovenant of Circumcision\u201d. According to Jewish law every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old. This ritual is considered so important it can even be performed on the <em>Shabbat<\/em> (a holiday subject to special rules, many of which are restrictive). The person who performs the circumcision is called the <em>mohel<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Mitzvah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Commandment. The <em>mitzvot<\/em> (plural of <em>mitzvah<\/em>) are the 613 commandments that Jews are required to observe.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"N\">N<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Ner Tamid\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>It is the eternal light, hung in the synagogue in front of the sacred cabinet (<em>Aron haKodesh<\/em>) containing the <em>Sefer Torah<\/em>. In the past, it was fuelled by olive oil in compliance with that stipulated in the Bible (Exodus 27, 20-21), but today is commonly transformed into an electric light. It symbolically recalls the function of the ancient, seven-armed candelabra (<em>Menorah<\/em>) that burned perpetually in the Temple of Jerusalem, reason for which it was originally positioned in a niche in the western wall of the synagogue, in the same position of the <em>Menorah<\/em> in the Temple.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"P\">P<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Parokhet\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>The ornamental curtain, usually made of a rich material, placed in front of the <em>Aron haKodesh<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Pesach\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Jewish Passover. One of the three pilgrim festivals that falls in spring and commemorates the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their liberation from bondage. The festival lasts seven days (eight days for Diaspora Jews) during which time Jews must not keep or eat any leavened products. Unleavened bread (<em>matzah<\/em>) is eaten instead of normal bread. The first two evenings, the <em>Seder<\/em>, the ritual dinner where the <em>Haggadah<\/em> is read, which tells the story of the exit of the Jews from Egypt, is celebrated.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Purim\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cLots\u201d. The festival of Purim commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from persecution thanks to the intervention of Queen Esther. It is a joyous occasion, on which Jews exchange gifts, give charity to the poor and dress up in costumes. The <em>Megillah<\/em> of Esther is read at the synagogue.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"R\">R<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Rimm\u00f3n\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201cpomegranate\u201d (<em>rimmonim<\/em>, plural), but in this sense meaning terminal or tip. It is an ornament for the <em>Sefer Torah<\/em> that makes up the top part; it is attached to the top of the rods that hold the scroll itself. It can have different forms according to its provenance, often inspired by the pomegranate, giving it the name \u201c<em>rimm\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d. It generally has an architectural shape, with the design reproducing lavishly decorated cones or imaginative, multi-floored buildings. There are often small bells hung on small chains.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Rosh haShanah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cJewish New Year\u201d. It is celebrated in autumn, at the beginning of the month of <em>Tishri<\/em>. The celebration of <em>Rosh haShanah<\/em> is characterized by the blowing of the shofar, a ram\u2019s horn. The tradition recalls both the creation of the world and the day of judgement of every creature.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"S\">S<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Seder\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cOrder\u201d. The name refers to the order of the ritual sand of the meal on the evening of Passover, during which Jews tell stories and comment on the Exodus from Egypt and the values of freedom, recite blessings, prayers, psalms and sing special songs.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Sefer Torah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cBook of the Law\u201d. This is the name of the parchment scroll that contains the first five books of the Bible, or Pentateuch (<em>Torah<\/em>). It must be hand-written by an adult male Jewish scribe, on parchment produced from the hide of a <em>kosher<\/em> animal, using a special ink and quill pen and following the established Mesoretic rules. It is kept in the <em>Aron HaKodesh<\/em>, wrapped in the <em>meil<\/em>, the mantle that, according to the Sephardic tradition, could be replaced by a wooden case (<em>tik<\/em>). It is adorned with the crown (<em>atarah<\/em> or <em>keter<\/em>) to symbolise the sovereignty of the divine law and finials (<em>rimmonim<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shabbat\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201cceasing from work\u201d. According to Jewish tradition, <em>Shabbat<\/em> has a clear connection with the creation of the universe. On the seventh day God rested from the work of creation and for this reason Jews also refrain from any productive activity on this day. The commandment to observe and remember the <em>Shabbat<\/em> is expressly mentioned in the <em>Torah<\/em>, which frequently presents <em>Shabbat<\/em> as an eternal sign of the pact between the Lord and the people of Israel. On this day, Jews suspend any habitual activity and consecrate the day to the Lord. <em>Shabbat<\/em> begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends the following evening with the appearance of the first stars in the sky.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shadday\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201calmighty\u201d. It is a divine name, not an attribute, by which God is called in some passages in the Bible. The object is an ornament that may be placed at the bedside, in the car, on a gondola or anywhere else, as a reminder of God. It is frequently hollow so that it can house a small parchment with verses from the Bible.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shavuot\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cWeeks\u201d. One of the three pilgrim festivals that falls fifty days (\u201cPentecost\u201d) after the first day of the Jewish Passover. It celebrates the giving of the <em>Torah<\/em>, the receiving of the ten Commandments and the grain harvest.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shemah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cHear\u201d. This is the best known of Jewish prayer. It starts with the words \u201cHear, O Israel, The Lord is our God. The Lord is one\u201d. This prayer consists of three passages from the <em>Torah<\/em>. It is recited in the morning, in the evening and before going to bed at night.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shoah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally meaning a \u201cdevastating storm\u201d. The term is used in the <em>Torah<\/em>, for example, in Isaiah 47, 11, to indicate the extermination of the Jewish people during the Second World War. It is preferred compared to the word \u201cHolocaust\u201d since it does not recall, like the latter, the idea of an inevitable sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Shofar\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>An ancient instrument made from a hollowed-out ram\u2019s horn, to commemorate the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of his son Isaac. The shofar is sounded a total of one hundred times during <em>Rosh haShanah<\/em> prayer services. It is also blown, though with fewer sounds, to mark the end of <em>Kippur<\/em> and to remind Jews of their commitment to God. In Israel it is also used for other solemn civic celebrations.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Sukkot\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>During <em>Sukkot<\/em> (festival of Tabernacles) Jews move from their houses into a <em>sukkah<\/em> (plural <em>sukkot<\/em>), a temporary hut or booth with a flimsy roof of branches or leaves, through which those inside can see the sky. People eat in the <em>sukkah<\/em>, and more orthodox Jews also sleep there. The <em>sukkah<\/em> is a reminder of the fragile huts in which the Jewish people dwelt while wandering in the desert during the Exodus. God protected them against the elements and this reminds Jews that it is not the bricks or mortar of their houses that provide protection, but God himself. To celebrate the holiday, the branches of four plants are shaken together: palm (<em>lulav<\/em>), citron (<em>etrog<\/em>), myrtle (<em>hadas<\/em>) and willow (<em>aravah<\/em>) are shaken together in the directions of the four cardinal points, as well as upwards and downwards, accompanied by hymns and psalms in thanks to God, whose divinity makes all things possible.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"T\">T<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Tallit\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cShawl\u201d. In Italian-Hebrew this name is pronounced <em>talled<\/em>. A square or rectangular shawl with four fringes (tzitzit) attached to its four corners, worn by men during morning prayers and on certain holidays. The <em>tallit<\/em> is usually made of wool, silk or cotton, with blue, black or purple stripes as a reminder of the cord of blue that was once part of the fringes. The tradition of wearing the <em>tallit<\/em> is to fulfil a Biblical commandment: \u201cThey shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments&#8230; to remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them\u201d.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Talmud\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>A rich compendium of rabbinical works, formed by the <em>Mishnah<\/em> and the <em>Gemara<\/em>. Compiled in the early Middle Ages, it consists of two versions, the Babylonian <em>Talmud<\/em> and the Palestinian (or Jerusalem) <em>Talmud<\/em>. The contents are an alternating mixture of Jewish law and homiletic interpretations. Rabbinical training includes an in- depth study of the <em>Talmud<\/em>. Regarded with irrational hatred by detractors of the work, it has been repeatedly condemned to be burnt.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Tas\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cBreastplate\u201d. An ornamental silver medallion that is hung from the tips of the <em>Sefer Torah<\/em> by means of a chain. It consists of the plate and sometimes also the plaque.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Tefillin\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cPhylacteries\u201d. Two leather boxes with leather straps. Men bind one of these boxes to their forehead and the other to their left arm during morning prayer on weekdays. Both boxes contain small parchments inscribed with verses from the <em>Torah<\/em> bearing the commandment.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Tevah or Bimah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cPulpit\u201d. The platform from which the Torah is read. The <em>Tevah<\/em> and the <em>Aron HaKodesh<\/em> are the main structural elements of the synagogue. <em>Tevah<\/em> is the term used by Sephardic Jews, while Ashkenazic Jews use the word <em>Bimah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Torah\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>\u201cTeaching\u201d, \u201cLaw\u201d. This term specifically refers to the Pentateuch, which consists of the first five books of the Bible. These books are traditionally referred to as the written <em>Torah<\/em>, to distinguish them from the oral Torah, which consists of the traditions and words of the Masters. The oral <em>Torah<\/em> was also eventually committed to writing, giving rise to the text of the <em>Mishnah<\/em>. The five books that make up the Pentateuch are: <em>Bereshit<\/em> (Genesis), <em>Shemot<\/em> (Exodus), <em>Vayikra<\/em> (Leviticus), <em>Bamidbar<\/em> (Numbers), <em>Devarim<\/em> (Deuteronomy).<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <h3 class=\"mt-0 mb-3\" id=\"Y\">Y<\/h3>\n                <div class=\"row mb-4\">\n                    <div class=\"col-12 d-flex flex-row\">\n                        <h5 class=\"my-0\">\n                            Yad\n                            \n                        <\/h5>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12\">\n                        <p>Literally \u201chand\u201d. It is a pointer, the end of which is shaped like a closed fist with the index finger outstretched. It is used to hold the sign during the reading of the <em>S\u00e8fer Torah<\/em>, whose handwritten scroll is not to be touched with the bare hand. Always true to a unique pattern, the object differs in decorative choices that express the taste of different times and places. It is mostly made of silver, but the use of other materials such as wood, horn, coral, and ivory is not uncommon.<\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2837","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jewish Glossary - Musei e Comunit\u00e0 Ebraica di Casale Monferrato<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casalebraica.org\/en\/glossary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jewish Glossary - 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