Judaism Flashcards
Define covenant?
The solemn contract between God and his people. It is a promise to God’s people that God would fulfill if the people fulfilled their part of the deal.
Define synagogue
A building in which Jews meet for worship of instruction.
Define Torah?
The law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scripture
Define Decalogue?
Another name for the 10 commandments which are rules to live by set by God.
Define Talmud
The body of Jewish civil and ceremonial law and legend comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara. There are two versions of the Talmud: the Babylonian Talmud (which dates from the 5th century AD but includes earlier material) and the earlier Palestinian or Jerusalem Talmud
Define diaspora
The movement, scattering and migration of the Jews beyond Israel.
Define rabbi
A Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law
Define sabbath
A day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday
Define Passover
The major Jewish spring festival which commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, lasting seven or eight days from the 15th day of Nisan.
Define kosher food
According to the laws of the Torah, to be eaten, a kosher species must be slaughtered by a “Schochet,” a ritual slaughterer. Since Jewish Law prohibits causing any pain to animals, the slaughtering has to be effected in such a way that unconsciousness is instantaneous and death occurs almost instantaneously
Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of kashrut. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.
Define Bar-mitzvah Bat-mitzvah
This translates son of the commandment and daughter if the commandment. According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. A girl becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 according to Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and at the age of 13 according to Reform Jews. At this age people take responsibility for their actions and devote themselves to the Jewish law
Define menorah
A nine-branched candelabrum used during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The center candle, or “starter,” is used to light the other eight candles, with one additional candle lit on each subsequent evening of the celebration
Define tefillen
Tefillin are two small black boxes with black straps attached to them; Jewish men are required to place one box on their head and tie the other one on their arm each weekday morning. Tefillin are biblical in origin, and are commanded within the context of several laws outlining a Jew’s relationship to God. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a frontlet between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:5-8)
Define the wailing wall
The Wailing Wall, also known as the Western Wall, is a 187-foot-high section of the ancient wall of Herod’s Temple, the second temple built on that spot. The Wailing Wall is on the western side of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
A wall in Jerusalem where Jews, on certain occasions, assemble for prayer and lamentatio
