Beit Din Questions Flashcards
1
Q
What is Kiddush?
A
Holy
Refers to blessing recited over wine and bread
2
Q
Recite and translate blessing over Bread
A
Baruch ata, Adonai elohenu, melech haolam, haMotzi lechem min haAretz
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth
3
Q
Recite and translate blessing over wine
A
Baruch ata, Adonai eloheinu, melech haolam, borei pri hagafen
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, creator of the fruit of the vine
4
Q
What is the name of a portion of the Torah read on Shabbat morning?
A
On Shabbat morning the weekly Torah portion, Parasha is read. It is divided into seven aliyot
5
Q
What is the name of the morning Shabbat service?
A
Shacharit
6
Q
What is the name of the eve of Yom Kippur Service?
A
Kol Nidrei
7
Q
What is the name of the final service on Yom Kippur?
A
Ne’ilah
8
Q
What is the Hebrew name for a Ram’s horn?
A
Shofar
9
Q
When is a Shofar used in synagogues?
A
Rosh Chodesh and Rosh Hashana
10
Q
Describe the festival of Purim and translate the name
A
- Takes place in month of Adar
- Scroll of Esther is read
- Celebrate the genocidal plans of Haman were foiled
- Drink lots of alcohol, dress-up in costumes
- Purim means Lots
11
Q
Describe Chanukah and translate the name
A
- means dedication
- 8-day festival (of Lights)
- winter month Kislev
- celebrate re-defication of Temple in Jerusalem
12
Q
What is the name of the special Menorah used on Chanukah?
A
Chanukiyah
13
Q
Recite and translate blessing for lighting the candles before Shabbat
A
Baruch ata, Adonai elohenu, melech haolam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotav, vtzivsnu lhadlik ner shel Shabat
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to Kindle the light of Shabbat
14
Q
What is the term used for the start of a new month?
A
Rosh Chodesh
15
Q
What is the meaning of the Hebrew word Pesach?
A
Passover
16
Q
What is the name of the book used in the home on Pesach evening?
A
Haggadah
17
Q
What is the ritual on the first eve of Pesach in the home called?
A
Seder
18
Q
Name the campy used at a Jewish wedding
A
Chuppah
19
Q
How can you tell which animals, birds and fish can be eaten?
A
Animals: those with hoofs cleft in two who bring up the cud
Birds: ones you can’t eat are listed
Fish: must have fins and scales
20
Q
What is the name of the Hebrew bible and how is the name derived?
A
TANAKH
Torah - (Five Books of Moshe)
Nevi’im (Prophets)
Ketuvim (Writings)
21
Q
What are the Five Books of Moshe?
A
Bereshit (Genesis) - the beginnings Shemot (Exodus) - the names Vayikra (Leviticus) - and he called Bemidbar (Numbers) - in the desert Devarim (Deuteronomy) - the words / repetition
22
Q
What is the Talmud?
A
Means Learning
- 63 volumes of rabbinic discussion on the TANAKH and Mishna
- two versions: Bavli and Yerushalmi
23
Q
What special things do we make or use on Sukkot?
A
- Sukkah
- Lulav (palm, myrtle and willow) and Etrog which together is Arba Minim
24
Q
What is Tu Bishvat?
A
New year for trees
25
What is the Jewish method of slaughter of animals and fowl called?
Shechita
26
What does shechita involve?
Jewish slaughter of animals and fowl
- Extremely swift cutting of windpipe / artery with super sharp knife
- blood is drained and meat is soaked in water or salted
27
Why do we have to keep milk and meat foods separate?
Torah says so:
“You shall not boil a kid in it’s mother’s milk”
28
What is the Chumash?
Bound volume of the five Books of Moses (ie. the Torah) for use in the synagogue usually containing also the haftarot readings
29
What is the Siddur?
Prayer book
30
What is the Hebrew name for the Ark in the synagogue?
Aron HaKodesh
31
What do we call the shield on a Sefer Torah?
Choshen
32
What do we call the pointer on a Sefer Torah and why?
Yad which means hand
33
Why do we have two loaves of bread on Shabbat?
2 Challot represent double manna that fell in the desert (exodus)
34
What is the name of the Israeli anthem and what does it mean?
Hatikva the hope
35
What are the Hebrew words for a bridegroom and bride?
Chatan and Kallah
36
What is the name of the Jewish marriage contract?
Ketubah
37
What is the Hebrew name for the Eternal Light in a synagogue?
Ner Tamid
38
What do we call food which is permitted?
Kasher
39
What do we call food which is not permitted?
Treyf
40
What is a Machzor and when do we use it?
Siddur (prayer book) for the Festivals
41
What is a Megillah?
A scroll
42
1492 CE was an important year I’m Jewish history? Why?
Expulsion of Jews from Spain
43
What was important about the year 586 BCE?
Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and first Temple
44
In what year did the Romans destroy the Temple in Jerusalem?
70 CE
45
Who were Ezra and Nechemiah and why are they important in Jewish history?
They were reformers who charted a course for the future of Judaism. Returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and restored Judaism and Jerusalem
46
What is a Mitzvah?
A command
47
What is Simchat Torah and how do we celebrate it?
Festival to mark the end of the Sukkot period and marks end of the cycle of regular readings from the Torah and this beginning of the next cycle
Amid great joy ... there are the last and first readings of Torah. Scrolls are removed from Ark and carried in processions.
48
What does the word Tzeddekah mean and why is it so important in Judaism?
Creating Righteousness
- Creating justice
- charity and a fair redistribution of wealth.
49
Who was Rambam?
Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon
One of the most influential philosophersand Torah Scholars from the Middle Ages
50
What is a Minyan?
Quorum of ten for a service and certain prayers
51
What is a Get?
Document of divorce
52
What is Yahrtzeit?
The anniversary of a death
53
What is meant by Mikveh?
A gathering
A gathering of water in one place / ritual bath
54
Who was Rashi and what did he do?
Schlomo Yitzchaki was a medieval French Rabbi and author of comprehensive commentary on Talmud and Torah
55
What are the Yamim Nora‘im?
Days of Awe / High Holy Days
| Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
56
What is Teshuvah?
Repentance, penitence
57
What does Yom Kippur mean?
Day for Atonement
58
What are the Shalosh Regalim?
The three Pilgrimage Festivals:
| - Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot
59
What does Pesach remember historically?
Liberation from Egypt
60
What do we celebrate on Shavuot?
Summer harvest festival
| - commemoration of the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai
61
What is Matan Torah?
The giving of the Torah
| The revelation from God to Moshe
62
What are the Asseret HaDibrot?
The ten words
| - aka Ten Commandments
63
Which book is read during Shavuot?
Megillat Ruth
64
What is the Omer?
49 day period between pesach and shavuot - 7 weeks
65
What is Ma’oz Tzur?
Chanukah hymn
66
What is Yom haAtzma’ut?
Anniversary day of Israel’s independence
67
What does Shabbat mean?
Rest = not work
68
What is Shabbat haGadol?
The great Shabbat
| - the Shabbat before Pesach
69
What is Shabbat Zachor?
The Shabbat of Remembrance
| - the Shabbat before Purim
70
In which Jewish year are we now in?
5781
71
What is Tevilah?
Immersion in a Mikveh
72
Who actually lead the conquest of Canaan?
Jeshua
73
What was the Haskalah?
The enlightenment
| - 18th and 19th centuries
74
What is yetzer haRa and yetzer haTov?
Human nature
| - Evil and good inclinations
75
What is the Galut?
Exile
| - Diaspora
76
What is Judaism about... act or believe?
Act
| - Judentun
77
What is the Mashiach and what does it mean in Judaism?
Messiah
| - has not come yet
78
What is the Halacha?
To walk
- the way one should walk
- Jewish law
79
What does Torah mean?
Learning and enlightenment
80
Are Jews a race?
No, they’re a people
81
What are the differences between Torah, Talmud, midrash, gemara, Mishnah?
Start with TANAKH (written Torah)
Then along comes all the Oral Torah:
- Mishnah (6 books) to try explain TANAKH
- Then along come the Gemara to try explain / elaborate on the
- Together, the Mishnah and Gemara (and Midrash) are called the Talmud and there are two Talmuds: Bavli (Babylonian) and Jerushalmi
The Talmuds are so large that along came the Mishna Tora (Rambam) and Shulchan Aruch (yosef Karo) to simply and codify it
And then... along comes Responsa (Teshuvot) which is modern Jewish case law where someone writes a question and gets a response
Midrash?
82
What is Adom Olam?
Hymn
83
What is Aleinu Leschabeach?
Final hymn at end of services
84
What is Aliyah?
To go up
Either to read from Torah
Or immigrate to Israel
85
What is Amidah?
- Important Standing prayer
| - Central prayer used in services
86
What is Ma’ariv / Arvit?
Evening prayer service
87
Who is the Baal keriah / korei?
One reading from Sefer Torah during service
88
What is Barchu?
Call to prayer / let us praise
89
What is benschen?
Pray / say blessing
90
What is the bimah?
Podium in synagogue / used for Torah reading
91
What is the Birkat Hamazon?
Grace after meals
92
What is the Birkat Kohanim?
Priestly blessing
93
What is Bracha?
Blessing
94
What are Birkot haschachar?
Morning blessings / Blessings recited at morning services
95
What is ein keloheinu?
Hymn sung toward end of morning services
96
What is a Gabbai / Gabba’it?
Person(s) who help with Torah reading
| - one hands out aliyot and calls up the people
97
What is Gelilah?
Dressing up Sefer Torah
| - Rolling up and tying Torah scroll and replacing it’s cover and ornaments by the Goleil
98
What is Gmar chatima tova and when is it said?
Wish said during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
- a good final sealing in the book of life
- fate is written on RH and sealed on YK
99
What is Hachnassa?
Put Torah scroll back in Ark
100
What is Hagbaha?
Lifting up of a Sefer Torah
101
What is Haftarah?
Short reading from Nevi’im after Torah reading on Shabbat services
102
What is Hakafa / Hakafot?
Go around with Sefer Torah
103
What are the Hallelujah?
Psalms 113-118
104
What is HaMotzi?
The Shabbat blessing over bread
105
What is Hoschanot?
Sukkot - Prayers sung while procession with arba minim
106
What is Hoza’a?
Taking out Sefer Torah from Aron haKodesh
107
What is the Yigdal?
Closing hymn
108
What is Yizkor?
Prayer for departed / memorial prayer
109
What is Kabbalat Shabbat?
To welcome Shabbat, evening synagogue service
110
What is Kaddish Awelim / Katom?
Mourners Kaddish / prayer in Aramaic
111
What is the Kedusha?
3rd prayer of Amida
112
What is Kriyat HaTorah?
Torah reading
113
Maftir
Last portion of Torah reading
114
What is a Me‘il?
Torah jacket
115
What is Mincha?
Afternoon service
116
What is Mussaf?
Additional prayer on Shabbat, RH and festivals
117
What is a netilat yadayim?
Hand washing before eating bread
118
What is the weekly portion from the Torah called?
Parashat Hashavua
119
What is the curtain in front of the Aron haKodesh called?
Parochet
120
What is rimon?
Torah ornament / pomegranate
121
What is Shmonei Esre?
Amida prayer for every day
122
What are Shofarot?
Verses for the Shofar to be played during RH
123
What is Seder Tekiyat Shofar?
Order of blowing the shofar
124
What is Sefer TANAKH ?
TANAKH book
125
Who is the Sgan / Sganit?
Person who corrects mistakes of the Torah reader
126
What is the weekly reading from the Torah called?
Sidra
127
What are the Sichronot?
Verses for the reminder of God on RH
128
What are the penitent prayers called?
Slichot
129
What is a service prayer called?
T‘filah
130
What is Tfilat Geschem?
Prayer for rain
| Recited end of Sukkot
131
What is Tfilat Tal?
Prayer for dew
| Recited first morning of Pesach
132
What is a confession called?
Widui
133
Name the 4 Matriarchs (imahot)
Sara, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah
134
Name the Patriarchs (avot)
Avraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel)
135
What is on a Sefer plate?
Zeroa - roasted shank bone - lamb
Beitsa - egg - spring and circle of life
Maror and chazeret - Bitter herbs - bitterness of slavery
Charoset - applesauce mixed with nuts apples wine - represent mortar
Karpas- parsley represents spring
+ 3 pieces of Matzah
