The Hebrew words that recur in the lectures of Rav Raphaël Benizri, explained simply, together with the lectures in which they are studied.
A · B · Sh · D · E · G · H · K · L · M · O · P · R · S · T · Y · Z
A
Amalek עמלק
A people descended from Esav through his grandson Amalek, who attacked the Hebrews shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah commands us to remember this aggression, which is done in particular through the reading of Shabbat Zachor, before Purim. According to tradition, Haman, the adversary in the story of Esther, was a descendant of Amalek. Listen: Purim: The War against Amalek, Purim: The Megillah in the Present, Purim: The Festival Born in Exile.
B
Beit HaMikdash בית המקדש
The Temple in Jerusalem, the central place of Israel’s worship. The First Temple, built by King Shlomo, was destroyed by the Babylonians; the Second was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Their destruction is commemorated by several fasts, including the Tenth of Tevet and Tisha BeAv. Listen: Tisha be-Av: The Destruction of the First Temple, The Tenth of Tevet: The Fast That Opens the Destruction, Tisha beAv: The Book of Eikha.
Bereshit Rabbah בראשית רבה
A collection of midrashim from the Talmudic period that comments, verse by verse, on the book of Bereshit (Genesis). It gathers the interpretations, narratives and teachings of the sages of the Land of Israel. This site offers a continuous study of it, chapter by chapter. Listen: Bereshit Rabbah 39, Part One: Lech Lecha, Bereshit Rabbah 39, Part 7: Be a Blessing, Bereshit Rabbah 41, Part Two: Lot.
Sh
Shabbat שבת
The seventh day of the week, a sanctified day of rest, from Friday evening to Saturday evening. It recalls that G-d completed Creation and rested on the seventh day, as well as the Exodus from Egypt. On it one refrains from creative labor, and it is marked by prayer, study and family meals. Listen: Vayakhel: The Tabernacle Beyond Space, Bereshit: The Beginning of Creation, Mishpatim: The Hebrew Servant and the Price of Freedom.
Shavuot שבועות
A festival that falls on the fiftieth day after the start of Pesach, at the end of the seven weeks of the counting of the Omer. It celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and, in Temple times, marked the offering of the first fruits. The book of Ruth is traditionally read on it. Listen: Shavuot: The Fiftieth Day, Beyond the Count, Shavuot: The Festival of Oaths, Shavuot: The Book of Ruth and Hesed.
Shechinah שכינה
A term for the presence of G-d that dwells in the midst of Israel and in the world. The word comes from the root meaning “to dwell, to reside,” the same as that of the Mishkan. The texts speak of the Shechinah that dwelt in the Sanctuary or that accompanies the people in exile. Listen: Tisha BeAv: At the Root of the Destruction, Elul: Returning to One’s Sources.
Shofar שופר
A ram’s horn that is blown, mainly on Rosh Hashanah. In many communities it is also blown every morning during the month of Elul, in preparation for the Days of Awe. Its sound is traditionally understood as a call to awaken and to teshuvah. Listen: Elul: When the Curse Is a Blessing, Rosh Hashanah: The Month of Elul and the Cry of the Shofar, Shavuot: The Fiftieth Day, Beyond the Count.
D
Derech eretz דרך ארץ
Literally “the way of the land.” The expression refers to the good manners, moral conduct and courtesy expected of every person, and sometimes also to earning a livelihood. Tradition teaches that derech eretz precedes the Torah. Listen: Pirkei Avot: Acquiring the Torah Before Shavuot, Pirkei Avot, Part 7 — Make Yourself a Teacher, Acquire Yourself a Friend.
E
Elul אלול
The sixth month of the Hebrew calendar counting from Nissan, the last month of the civil year, preceding Rosh Hashanah. It is a month of preparation, introspection and teshuvah, marked by the recitation of selichot and the blowing of the shofar. The forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur are linked to the forty days Moshe spent on Sinai to receive the second Tablets. Listen: Elul: The Reckoning of the Year, Elul: The Uniqueness of Each Person, Rosh Hashanah: The Month of Elul and the Cry of the Shofar.
Eshet Chayil אשת חיל
“The woman of valor”: an alphabetical poem that closes the book of Mishlei (Proverbs 31). It is sung in many homes on Friday night, before Kiddush. It celebrates the qualities of the woman and of the home she builds. Listen: Mishlei: Eshet Chayil, the Hymn to the Perfect Woman — Part 1, Mishlei: Eshet Chayil, Part 3, Shavuot: Ruth, the Eshet Chayil, and Hesed.
G
Galut גלות
Exile: the condition of the Jewish people dispersed outside the Land of Israel. Tradition distinguishes four great exiles, associated with Babylon, Persia and Media, Greece, and Edom (Rome). Beyond its geographical sense, the term also denotes a spiritual state of distance. Listen: Vayishlach: From Yaakov to Israel, Hanukkah in History, Purim: The Festival Born in Exile.
Gemara גמרא
The part of the Talmud that comments on and discusses the Mishnah. Written mainly in Aramaic, it gathers the debates of the sages (the Amoraim) on the law, along with narratives and teachings. Together, the Mishnah and the Gemara form the Talmud. Listen: Pirkei Avot 3: Where You Come From, Where You Are Going.
H
Haftarah הפטרה
A passage from the books of the Prophets read in the synagogue after the Torah reading, on Shabbat and festivals. Its theme is generally connected to the weekly parashah or to the festival of the day. On Yom Kippur, the haftarah of the Minchah service is the book of Yonah. Listen: Yom Kippur: The Book of Yonah and the Mission of Israel, Pesach: The Mystery of the Number Four.
Haggadah הגדה
The text read around the table on the night of the Pesach Seder. It tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt through questions, commentaries of the sages, blessings and songs. The word comes from the root “to tell,” echoing the commandment to tell one’s children about the Exodus. Listen: Pesach: Searching for the Chametz Within, Pesach: Where Should the Haggadah Begin?, Pesach: Peh-Sach, the Mouth That Speaks.
Halachah הלכה
Jewish law, that is, the body of rules that govern practice: prayer, festivals, food, relations between people. The word comes from the root “to walk”: it is the path along which one advances. It derives from the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, as interpreted by the sages. Listen: Hanukkah: Each Person’s Own Light, Yitro: Who Was Yitro?, Mishlei: Eshet Chayil, the Hymn to the Perfect Woman — Part 1.
Hametz חמץ
Food made from grain (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, rye) that has fermented or risen. Eating it and owning it are forbidden during Pesach. Before the festival, it is searched for and removed from the home. Listen: Pesach: Searching for the Chametz Within, Pesach: The Four Questions of Ma Nishtana.
Hanukkah חנוכה
An eight-day festival beginning on the 25th of Kislev. It commemorates the victory of the Hasmoneans over Greco-Syrian rule, the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of the cruse of oil. Each evening, an additional light is kindled on the hanukkiah. Listen: Hanukkah in History, Hanukkah: Each Person’s Own Light, Hanukkah: Maoz Tzur, the Song of the Exiles.
Hesed חסד
Kindness, generosity, freely giving to others. In the tradition, this quality is associated with Avraham, the figure of hospitality. The book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, is presented by the sages as a book devoted to hesed. Listen: Shavuot: The Book of Ruth and Hesed, Vayera: The Promises to Avraham (Part 1), Shavuot: Ruth, the Eshet Chayil, and Hesed.
K
Kabbalah קבלה
Literally “receiving”: the mystical tradition of Judaism. It is concerned with the relationship between G-d, Creation and man, notably through the sefirot. Its best-known text is the Zohar. Listen: Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace, Bereshit: The Beginning of Creation.
Kapparah כפרה
Atonement. The word shares its root with Kippur and evokes the idea of “covering.” It is often translated as “forgiveness,” but the commentators distinguish it from teshuvah: kapparah covers the sin, whereas teshuvah seeks to erase it. Listen: Yom Kippur: The Book of Yonah and the Mission of Israel, Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace, Elul: The Role of Man.
Kohen כהן
A priest, a descendant of Aharon, the brother of Moshe (plural: kohanim). The kohanim performed the service of the Sanctuary and later of the Temple, under the direction of the kohen gadol, the High Priest. To this day, they pronounce the Priestly Blessing in the synagogue. Listen: Hanukkah in History, Pirkei Avot, Chapter 5: Ten Generations from Adam to Avraham.
L
Lag BaOmer ל״ג בעומר
The thirty-third day of the counting of the Omer, a day of joy in the midst of a period of mourning. Tradition connects it with the end of the plague that struck the students of Rabbi Akiva, and with the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, to whom the Zohar is attributed. It is associated in particular with bonfires. Listen: Lag BaOmer: The Fires and the Light of the Zohar.
Lulav לולב
A date-palm branch, one of the four species waved during the festival of Sukkot. It is held together with the myrtle (hadas) and the willow (aravah), and joined with the etrog, the citron. Tradition sees in these four species an image of different kinds of people brought together. Listen: Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace.
M
Mashiach משיח
The Messiah, literally “the anointed one.” According to tradition, he will be a descendant of King David who will gather in the exiles and usher in an era of peace. Tradition also speaks of a Mashiach ben Yosef, who precedes Mashiach ben David. Listen: Lech Lecha: Lot, Our Neighbor, Tisha BeAv: Rising Above Oneself.
Maharal מהר״ל
The acronym of Rabbi Yehudah Loew, known as the Maharal of Prague (16th century), one of the great figures of Jewish thought. His works, including a commentary on Pirkei Avot, offer a philosophical and structured reading of the Torah and the Aggadah. Listen: Pirkei Avot: Let Your House Be Open, Pirkei Avot: Acquiring the Torah Before Shavuot, Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace.
Matzah מצה
Unleavened bread made of flour and water, baked before it has risen (plural: matzot). It is eaten during Pesach in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt, when the Hebrews left without giving their dough time to rise. It is called both the “bread of affliction” and a symbol of freedom. Listen: Pesach: The Mystery of the Number Four, Pesach: Peh-Sach, the Mouth That Speaks, Pesach: The Four Questions of Ma Nishtana.
Megillah מגילה
“Scroll”: refers to each of the five scrolls of the Bible (Esther, Ruth, Eikha, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes). Used on its own, the word most often refers to Megillat Esther, read on Purim. The book of Ruth is read on Shavuot and that of Eikha on Tisha BeAv. Listen: Purim: The Megillah in the Present, Purim: The Festival Born in Exile, Shavuot: The Book of Ruth and Hesed.
Menorah מנורה
The seven-branched lampstand that stood in the Sanctuary and later in the Temple, lit every day with pure olive oil. It is one of the oldest symbols of Judaism. The hanukkiah, lit on Hanukkah, is a reminder of it. Listen: Hanukkah in History, Hanukkah: A Jewish Re-education.
Mishkan משכן
The Tabernacle: a portable sanctuary built in the desert by the Hebrews after the Exodus from Egypt, according to the instructions given to Moshe. It accompanied the people in their journeys and prefigures the Temple in Jerusalem. Its construction is described in the last parashiyot of the book of Shemot. Listen: Vayakhel: The Tabernacle Beyond Space, Pekudei: The Inner Tabernacle.
Mishnah משנה
The first written record of the Oral Torah, compiled by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around the year 200. It is divided into six orders and into tractates; each of its paragraphs is also called a mishnah (plural: mishnayot). Pirkei Avot is one of its tractates. Listen: Pirkei Avot 3: Where You Come From, Where You Are Going, Pirkei Avot, Part 2 — All Israel Has a Share in the World to Come, Pirkei Avot: Judging Without Setting Yourself Up as Judge.
Middot מידות
Character traits, a person’s ways of being: generosity, humility, patience, self-control… Working on one’s middot is a central theme of Jewish ethics. The Patriarchs are often presented as the models of these qualities. Listen: Bereshit — The Foundations of the Human Being, The Three Patriarchs — Their Confrontations in Brief, Noah: Discovering Elokim.
Midrash מדרש
The sages’ method of interpretation that seeks the meaning of verses beyond their literal reading (plural: midrashim). The word also refers to the collections that gather these teachings, such as Bereshit Rabbah. Midrash blends explanations, narratives and parables. Listen: Bereshit Rabbah 39, Part 7: Be a Blessing, Bereshit Rabbah 41, Part Two: Lot, Bereshit Rabbah 40, Part One: The Beauty of Sarah and the Attributes.
Mishlei משלי
The book of Proverbs, attributed to King Shlomo, which is part of the Writings (Ketuvim). It brings together maxims of wisdom and moral conduct. It ends with the poem Eshet Chayil. Listen: Mishlei: An Introduction to the Book of Proverbs, Mishlei: Eshet Chayil, Part 3.
Mitzvah מצוה
A commandment of the Torah (plural: mitzvot). Tradition counts 613 of them, positive and negative. In everyday language, the word also means a good deed. Listen: Pirkei Avot: The Mitzvah According to Ben Azzai, Pirkei Avot, Chapter 4: Ben Azzai and the Race Toward the Mitzvah, Pirkei Avot: The Arithmetic of Creation.
O
Olam HaBa עולם הבא
“The world to come,” or the future world, as opposed to olam hazeh, the present world. Tradition sees in it the dimension of existence that follows earthly life and the reward of the righteous. A famous mishnah teaches that “all Israel has a share in the world to come.” Listen: Pirkei Avot, Part 2 — All Israel Has a Share in the World to Come, Chayei Sarah: The Source of Life, Bereshit Rabbah 39, Part One: Lech Lecha.
Omer עומר
A measure of barley offered in the Temple on the second day of Pesach. From that day, forty-nine days, that is, seven weeks, are counted until Shavuot: this is the counting of the Omer. This period is traditionally devoted to working on oneself. Listen: The Month of the Omer: Counting in Order to Count Oneself, Lag BaOmer: The Fires and the Light of the Zohar, Pirkei Avot, Chapter Two: The Straight Path and a Trade.
P
Parashah פרשה
A section of the Torah read in the synagogue each Shabbat (plural: parashiyot). The five books of the Torah are divided into 54 parashiyot, read in an annual cycle. Each is named after one of its first significant words. Listen: Yitro: Who Was Yitro?, Vayechi — The Instrument of the Family.
Pesach פסח
The festival of the Exodus from Egypt, celebrated from the 15th of Nissan for seven days in Israel (eight in the Diaspora). It opens with the Seder, at which the Haggadah is read and matzah is eaten. Hametz is forbidden for the entire duration of the festival. Listen: Pesach: Searching for the Chametz Within, Pesach: The Mystery of the Number Four, Pesach: Time Is Not Continuous.
Pirkei Avot פרקי אבות
“Chapters of the Fathers”: a tractate of the Mishnah devoted to ethics and principles of conduct. It opens with the chain of transmission of the Torah, from Sinai down to the sages. It is traditionally studied on summer Shabbatot, between Pesach and Shavuot and beyond. Listen: Pirkei Avot, Part One: An Introduction to the Tractate, Pirkei Avot, Part 2 — All Israel Has a Share in the World to Come, Pirkei Avot, Part 3 — The Chain of Transmission.
Purim פורים
The festival of the 14th of Adar, commemorating the deliverance of the Jews of the Persian Empire from Haman’s plan of extermination, as told in the book of Esther. On it the Megillah is read, portions of food are exchanged, gifts are given to the poor and a festive meal is shared. The word means “lots,” referring to the lots cast by Haman. Listen: Purim: The War against Amalek, Purim: The Megillah in the Present, Purim: The Festival Born in Exile.
R
Rashi רש״י
The acronym of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040–1105), a commentator born in Troyes, in Champagne. His commentary on the Torah and the Talmud is the most studied in the Jewish tradition. He is renowned for his clarity and concision. Listen: Bereshit Rabbah 39, Part 6: Goy Gadol, Vayishlach: How to Avoid the Confrontation with Esav.
Rosh Hashanah ראש השנה
The Jewish New Year, celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei. It is the Day of Judgment, when each person is called to take stock of his deeds, and the day of G-d’s kingship. The shofar is blown on it, and it opens the Ten Days of Teshuvah that lead to Yom Kippur. Listen: Rosh Hashanah: Inscribe Us in the Book of Life, Rosh Hashanah: The Month of Elul and the Cry of the Shofar, Elul: The Role of Man.
S
Sukkot סוכות
The Festival of Booths, celebrated from the 15th of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. During it one dwells in the sukkah, a hut roofed with branches, in remembrance of the protection in the desert, and waves the four species, including the lulav and the etrog. It is called “the season of our joy.” Listen: Sukkot: The Festival of Joy, Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace.
T
Talmud תלמוד
The vast corpus of the Oral Torah, made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara that comments on it. There is a Jerusalem Talmud and a Babylonian Talmud, the latter being the more widely studied. It deals with law, ethics, narratives and the thought of the sages. Listen: Pirkei Avot: The Three Pillars of the World, Pirkei Avot, Part 3 — The Chain of Transmission.
Teshuvah תשובה
Return, often translated as “repentance.” It is the process by which a person acknowledges his sins, regrets them and returns to G-d and to the right path. It lies at the heart of the month of Elul, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; according to tradition, it is among the things created before the world. Listen: Yom Kippur: The Book of Yonah and the Mission of Israel, Elul: Returning to One’s Sources, Bereshit: The Beginning of Creation.
Tisha BeAv תשעה באב
The Ninth of the month of Av, a day of fasting and mourning that commemorates the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and other calamities in Jewish history. The book of Eikha (Lamentations) is read on it. It closes the three-week period that begins on the 17th of Tammuz. Listen: Tisha be-Av: The Destruction of the First Temple, Tisha beAv: The Book of Eikha, Tisha BeAv: Rising Above Oneself.
Tishrei תשרי
The autumn month that opens the Jewish year. It holds several festivals: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. The Jewish calendar has two beginnings: Tishrei, linked to the creation of the world, and Nissan, linked to the Exodus from Egypt. Listen: The Three Patriarchs — Their Confrontations in Brief, Sukkot: The Festival of Joy, Elul: The Reckoning of the Year.
Tzedakah צדקה
Giving to those in need, often translated as “charity.” The word comes from the root tzedek, “justice”: giving is a duty of justice rather than a mere gesture of kindness. According to the liturgy of the Days of Awe, teshuvah, tefillah (prayer) and tzedakah avert the severity of the decree. Listen: Elul: Returning to One’s Sources, Pirkei Avot: Judging Without Setting Yourself Up as Judge.
Y
Yom Kippur יום כיפור
The Day of Atonement, the 10th of Tishrei, the most solemn day of the Jewish year. It is devoted to fasting, prayer and teshuvah, and closes the ten days that follow Rosh Hashanah. In the afternoon, the book of Yonah is read. Listen: Yom Kippur: The Book of Yonah and the Mission of Israel, Sukkot: From Kippur to the Sukkah of Peace.
Z
Zohar זוהר
“Radiance”: the principal work of the Kabbalah, written in Aramaic in the form of a commentary on the Torah. Tradition attributes it to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his disciples. It is associated with the festival of Lag BaOmer. Listen: Lag BaOmer: The Fires and the Light of the Zohar, Bereshit Rabbah 40, Part One: The Beauty of Sarah and the Attributes.