Acharon Shel Pesach	Last day of Pesach
Achashverosh	King of Persia and protagonist in the events chronicled in Megillas Esther
Adam	first man, created by G-d
Adar	the twelfth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the sixth when counting from Tishrei); the month in which Purim is celebrated
Agag	King of Amalek in the times of King Shaul
Aharon	first Kohen Gadol, brother to Moshe and Miriam
ahavas yisroel	the love of a fellow Jew
Akivah, Rabbi	one of the foremost of the Talmudic Sages
Al HaNissim	special prayer recited on Chanukah and Purim
Alter Rebbe	(lit., "the Old Rebbe"; Yid.): R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), also known as "the Rav" and as Baal HaTanya; founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch trend within the chassidic movement; disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, and father of the Mitteler Rebbe.
Amalek	a nation descended from Esav, which attacked the Jews after they left Egypt
Antiochus	Greek-Syrian emperor whose armies fought against and were defeated by the Chasmoneans
aravah	willow, used during the festival of Sukkos for the mitzvah of the Four Species
Ari	(lit., "lion"): month of Av
AriZal	(lit., "the lion of blessed memory"): R. Isaac Luria (1534-1572), one of the leading Kabbalistic luminaries
Ariel	Jerusalem and/or the Sanctuary
Asarah B'Teves	Tenth day of the month of Teves, a public fast
Av	the fifth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the eleventh when counting from Tishrei); the month in which both Temples were destroyed
Avraham	the first of the three patriarchs of the Jewish people
Baal Shem Tov	(lit., "Master of the Good Name"): R. Yisrael ben R. Eliezer (1698-1760), founder of Chassidism
Beis HaMikdosh	the (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem
Bavel	Babylon
Bereishis	the Book of Genesis
Bigson	one of King Achashverosh's chamberlains who plotted to kill the king, as narrated in Megillas Esther
Binah	"understanding"; second of the ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; the second stage of the intellectual process
Cantonist (pl. "Cantonists")	Jewish children forcibly conscripted into the Czarist army
Chabad	(acronym for the Hebrew words meaning "wisdom, understanding, and knowledge"): the approach to Chassidism which filters its spiritual and emotional power through the intellect; a synonym for Chabad is Lubavitch, the name of the town where this movement originally flourished
Chabad Chassidus	the philosophy or literature of the Chabad branch of Chassidus
Chag HaMatzos	(lit., "Festival of Matzos"): another name for the festival of Pesach
Chag HaPesach	Festival of Pesach
chakikah	engraving
Chanah	mother of the prophet Shmuel
Chanukah	(lit., "dedication"): eight-day festival beginning 25 Kislev, commemorating the Maccabees' rededication of the Temple in the second century B.C.E., and marked by the kindling of lights
Chasmoneans	the priestly family which fought the Greeks and whose victory culminated in the festival of Chanukah
Chassidus	Chassidism, i.e., (a) the movement founded in the eighteenth century by R. Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov; (b) the philosophy or literature of this movement
cheder	school in which young children learn reading skills and begin the study of the Torah
cheshbon hanefesh	soul reckoning
Chizkiyahu	King of Yehudah at the time Jerusalem was besieged by Sancheriv
Chochmah	"wisdom"; the first of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations; first of the intellectual powers of the soul
chok	statute
chometz	leavened products forbidden for use on Pesach
chukim	plural of chok
Daas	"knowledge"; third of the Ten Sefiros, or divine emanations
Don	one of the twelve sons of Yaakov, from whom descended the tribe of Don
echad	one
ed	one of the three categories of mitzvos
eidus	plural of ed
eikev	heel
Elazar, R.	son of Rashbi
Eli	the Kohel Gadol in the time of Chanah
Elul	the sixth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the twelfth when counting from Tishrei); a month devoted to repentance and soul-searching in preparation for the Days of Awe
Eretz Yisroel	the Land of Israel
Esav	twin brother to Yaakov, ancestor Amalek
esrog	citron, used during the festival of Sukkos for the mitzvah of the Four Species
Esther	together with Mordechai, principal Jewish protagonist in the events chronicled in Megillas Esther; descendent of King Shaul
gal	mound
gerah (pl. "gerahs")	one twentieth of a shekel
gilui	the revelation of light
golden calf	the idol which the Jews made when they mistakenly thought that Moshe was not coming down from Mt. Sinai
goral	lot
goralos	plural of goral
hadas	myrtle, used during the festival of Sukkos for the mitzvah of the Four Species
Haftorah	(lit., "the final passage"): the passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the conclusion of the Torah reading
Haggadah Shel Pesach	(lit., "telling"): the text from which the Seder service is conducted on the first two nights of Passover (outside of Eretz Yisrael, and in Eretz Yisrael on the first night only)
halachah (pl., halachos)	(a) the body of Torah law; (b) a particular law
helem	concealment
hiddur	(pl. hiddurim; lit. "embellishment"): enhancement or meticulous observance of a mitzvah beyond the demands of the letter of the law
hiddur min hahiddur	the most meticulous observance possible of a mitzvah, in a manner beyond even hiddur
Isru Chag	the day following a festival
Iyar	the second month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the eighth when counting from Tishrei)
Kabbalah	(lit., "received tradition"): the Jewish mystical tradition
Kislev	the ninth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the third when counting from Tishrei)
kohanim (pl. of Kohen)	"priests"; i.e., the descendants of Aharon
Kohen Gadol	High Priest
kores	spiritual excision of the soul
Lag BaOmer	the 33rd day of the Omer, a minor festival falling between Pesach and Shavuos
Lavan	Yaakov's father-in-law
Lech (lit, "go")	name of the third parshah in the Torah
Likkutei Sichos	selection of the public talks of the Rebbe
Likkutei Torah	a collection of chassidic discourses by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Lubavitch	(lit., "town of love"; Rus.): townlet in Smolensk oblast, Belorussia, which was in the center of Chabad Chassidism from 1813, when the Mitteler Rebbe moved there from Liadi, until 1915, when his greatgrandson the Rebbe Rashab left it for Rostov, after having established the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah there in 1897; the name of the township has remained a synonym for the Chabad branch of Chassidism
lulav	palm-branch, used during the festival of Sukkos for the mitzvah of the Four Species
maaser sheni	the tithe eaten in Jerusalem
Maggid of Mezritch	(lit., "the preacher of Mezritch"): R. Dov Ber (d. 1772), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and mentor of the Alter Rebbe.
manna	the food from heaven provided to the Jews in the desert after the exodus from Egypt and before entering Eretz Yisroel
MarCheshvan	the eighth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the second when counting from Tishrei)
Mattan Torah	giving of the Torah
Mattisyahu	the head of the family of Chasmoneans who fought the Greeks and whose victory culminated in the festival of Chanukah
Matzah	the unleavened bread eaten on Passover (see Pesach)
Matzos	plural of Matzah
mazal	zodiac sign
Megillah	(lit., "scroll"): short version of Megillas Esther
Megillas Esther	the Biblical book of Esther
mehader	one who performs mitzvos beyond the demands of the letter of the law
mehadrin min hamehadrin	those who perform mitzvos in the most meticulous manner possible, in a manner beyond even hiddur
menorah	the golden candelabrum lit in the Temple
mesirus nefesh	(lit., "sacrifice of the soul"): the willingness to sacrifice oneself, either through martyrdom, or through a selfless life, for the sake of the Torah and its commandments
metzorim	limitations
middos (pl. of middah)	(a) attributes of character; emotions; mental states; (b) the Divine Attributes (e.g., Mercy)
Midrash	classical collection of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Bible
mikvah	a ritual bath used by women for purification after emerging from the state of niddah, and used by both men and women in their endeavors to attain spiritual self-refinement
Miriam	sister to Moshe and Aharon, in whose merit the Jews were provided with water in the desert
Mishnah	the germinal statements of law elucidated by the Gemara, together with which they constitute the Talmud
mishpat	one of the three categories of mitzvos
mishpatim	plural of mishpat
Mitteler Rebbe	(lit., "the Middle Rebbe"; Yid.): R. Dov Ber of Lubavitch (1773-1827), son and successor of the Alter Rebbe, and uncle and father-in-law of the Tzemach Tzedek.
Mitzrayim	Egypt
mitzvah (pl., mitzvos)	(lit., "command"): a religious obligation; one of the Torah's 613 Commandments
Modeh Ani	(lit., "I thank [You]..."): opening phrase of the first sentence said upon rising in the morning; see Siddur, p. 6
Mordechai	together with Esther, principal Jewish protagonist in the events chronicled in Megillas Esther; descendant of King Shaul
Moshe	Moses
Moshiach	the Messiah
motzoei [Shabbos, etc]	evening on which a Shabbos or Yom-Tov ends
nasi	(a) in Biblical times, the head of any one of the Twelve Tribes; (b) in later generations, the civil and/or spiritual head of the Jewish community at large
Ne'ilah	(lit., "locking"): the fifth prayer service recited before the conclusion of Yom Kippur, when the gates of heaven are being locked
Nevuchadnetzar	King of Babylon, who laid siege to Jerusalem and eventually destroyed the first Beis HaMikdosh
Nissan	the first month of the Jewish year according to certain reckonings, or the seventh when counting the months from Tishrei; the month of the Exodus from Egypt
Noach	Noah. Also name of the second parshah in the Torah
Ohel Moed	Sanctuary
olam	world
Omer	(lit., a certain measure of grain): the period of 49 days counted from the second day of Pesach to the eve of Shavuos
parah adumah	red heifer used to purify Jews from ritual impurity
parshah	portion of the Torah read publicly every week
parshas	the parshah of [a certain Shabbos or festive occasion]
parshas HaChodesh	portion of Torah concerning the Pesach offering and the mitzvah to keep a calendar, read on Shabbos parshas HaChodesh
parshas Parah	portion of Torah concerning the mitzvah of the red heifer, read on Shabbos parshas Parah
parshas Shekalim	portion of Torah concerning the mitzvah of the half-shekel, read on Shabbos parshas Shekalim
parshas Zachor	portion of Torah concerning the mitzvah to remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people, read on Shabbos parshas Zachor
Pesach	Passover, seven-day festival beginning on 15 Nissan, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt
Pesach Sheni	(lit., "the second Passover"): opportunity given to certain persons who were unable to offer the Paschal sacrifice to do so one month later, on 14 Iyar
Previous Rebbe	the Rebbe Rayatz, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, father-in-law of the Rebbe
Psalmist	King David, author of the Psalms
pur	lot
Purim	(lit., "lots"): one-day festival falling on 14 Adar and commemorating the miraculous salvation of the Jews of the Persian Empire in the fourth century B.C.E.
Rambam	Maimonides
Rashbi	(acronym for Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai): one of the greatest of the Talmudic Sages
Rashi	(acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki; 1040-1105): the author of the foremost commentaries to the Torah and the Talmud
Rebbe (pl. Rebbeim)	tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim
Rebbe Maharash	(acronym for Moreinu ("our teacher") HaRav Shmuel): R. Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch (1834-1882), the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe; youngest son of the Tzemach Tzedek, and father of the Rebbe Rashab.
Rebbe Rashab	(acronym for Rabbi Shalom Ber): R. Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn of Lubavitch (1860-1920), the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe; second son of the Rebbe Maharash, and father of the Rebbe Rayatz.
Rebbe Rayatz	(acronym for Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak), also known (in Yiddish) as "der frierdiker Rebbe" (i.e., "the Previous Rebbe"): R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe; only son of the Rebbe Rashab, and father-in-law of the Rebbe.
Rebbi	Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, one of the foremost of the Talmudic Sages
Rosh	lit., "the head"
Rosh Chodesh	(lit., "the head of the month"): either one or two semi-festive days marking the beginning of the month
Rosh HaShanah	(lit., "head of the year"): the New Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei
Roshei Chodoshim	plural of Rosh Chodesh
Sancheriv	King of Assyria, who attempted to capture Jerusalem, but was thwarted by a miracle
Schneur Zalman of Liadi	see Alter Rebbe
Seresh	one of King Achashverosh's chamberlains who plotted to kill the king, as narrated in Megillas Esther
seudah	meal, esp. a festive one
Shabbos	Sabbath
Shabbos Bereishis	first Shabbos of the Jewish year
Shaul	first King of Israel
Shavuos	(lit., "weeks"): festival commemorating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai, in Eretz Yisrael falling on 6 Sivan, and in the Diaspora on 6-7 Sivan
Shekel	Biblical coin
shekalim	plural of shekel
Shema	section of the Torah recited in the daily prayers
Shemini Atzeres	festival immediately following Sukkos
Shevat	the eleventh month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the fifth when counting from Tishrei)
Shevi'i Shel Pesach	seventh day of Pesach
Shiloh	place where Sanctuary stayed for many years before the Beis HaMikdosh was built
Shirah	song
Shmuel	Jewish prophet, lived during the era of the last of the Judges and the first of the Kings
schochet	ritual slaughterer
shofar	ram's horn sounded on Rosh HaShanah
sholom	complete, perfect
Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein	(or "the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch") is the later edition of the Jewish Code of Law compiled by the Alter Rebbe
Sichah (pl., sichos)	an informal Torah talk delivered by a Rebbe
Simchas Torah	(lit., "the rejoicing of the Torah"): the final day (in Eretz Yisrael, the eighth day; in the diaspora, the ninth) of the festival of Sukkos on which the annual cycle of Torah readings is completed; this event is celebrated with exuberant rejoicing
Sivan	the third month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the ninth when counting from Tishrei); the month in which the Torah was given
somach	(lit., "support"): laid siege to
sukkah	(lit., "booth"; pl., sukkos): a temporary dwelling in which we are commanded to live during the festival of Sukkos
Sukkos	(lit., "Booths"): seven-day festival (eight days in the Diaspora) beginning on 15 Tishrei, taking its name from the temporary dwelling in which one lives during this period
tachanun	confessional prayer recited on weekdays
Talmud	the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary; when unspecified refers to the Talmud Bavli, the edition developed in Babylonia, and edited at end of the fifth century C.E.; the Talmud Yerushalmi is the edition complied in Eretz Yisrael at end of the fourth century C.E.
Tammuz	the fourth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the tenth when counting from Tishrei)
Tanya	the classic text of Chabad chassidic thought authored by the Alter Rebbe
Targum	(lit., "translation"): the classic Aramaic translation and paraphrase of the Tanach by the second-century proselyte, Onkelos
Targum Onkelos	see Targum
tefillah	prayer; bonding with G-d
tefillin	small leather boxes each containing four Biblical passages which the Torah commands adult males to wear daily during morning prayers
Ten Days of Repentance	the ten days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur
terumah	portion of produce given to the Kohanim
teshuvah	(lit., "return [to G-d]"): repentance, return to a Jew's true essence
Tes Kislev	ninth day of Kislev
Teves	the tenth month of the Jewish year when counting from Nissan (or the fourth when counting for Tishrei)
The Rebbe	Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902), the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe; eldest son of the saintly Kabbalist, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, rav of Yekaterinoslav; fifth in direct paternal line from the Tzemach Tzedek; son-in-law of the Rebbe Rayatz.
Tishah BeAv	(lit., "the Ninth of Av"): fast commemorating the Destruction of both the First and the Second Temple
Tishrei	the first month of the Jewish year, or the seventh when counting the months from Nissan; the month which includes Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos
Tomchei Temimim	see Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim
Torah	the Written and Oral Law
Torah Or	One of the major texts authored by the Alter Rebbe
tzaddik	righteous man
tzedakah	charity; justice
Tzemach Tzedek	R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (1789-1866), the third Lubavitcher Rebbe; known by the title of his halachic responsa as "the Tzemach Tzedek"; nephew and son-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe, and father of the Rebbe Maharash.
Vayeitze	one of the parshiyos of the Torah
Vespasian	Roman general, later Emperor
Yaakov	the third of the three patriarchs of the Jewish people; also a name for the Jewish people
Yalkut Shimoni	a collection of the Sages' homiletical teachings
Yartzeit	(Yid.): the anniversary of a person's passing
yechidah	the highest of the five levels of the soul, the rung in which the soul is in absolute unity with G-d
Yehudah	one of the sons of Yaakov; also a name for the Jewish people
Yerushalayim	Jerusalem
Yerushalmi	See Talmud
Yeshayahu	Isaiah
Yeshivah	Torah academy for advanced students
Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim	(a) the yeshivah founded in Lubavitch in 1897 by the Rebbe Rashab; (b) one of its subsequent offshoots
yetzer hora	the Evil Inclination
Yevsektzia	Jewish section of the Communist party, who were the most fanatical in the effort to eradicate Judaism from Soviet Russia
Yirah	fear or awe [of G-d]
Yirmeyahu	Jeremiah; one of the books of the Bible
Yisroel	another name for Yaakov, the third of the three patriarchs of the Jewish people; also a name for the Jewish people
Yitzchok	the second of the three patriarchs of the Jewish people
Yochanan ben Zakkai, Rabbi	one of the foremost of the Talmudic sages
Yom Kippur	the Day of Atonement, fast day falling on 10 Tishrei and climaxing the Days of Awe
Yud Shevat	(lit., "the Tenth of Shvat"): anniversary of the passing of the Previous Rebbe in 1950
Yud-Tes Kislev	(lit., "the Nineteenth of Kislev"): anniversary of the passing of the Maggid of Mezritch in 1772, and anniversary of the release from capital sentence of his disciple, the Alter Rebbe, in 1798
Z'man Cheiruseinu	(lit., the Season of our Freedom): another name for the festival of Pesach
Zohar	(lit., "radiance"): the classic text of the Kabbalah