An asterisk indicates a cross-reference within this Glossary.

All non-English entries are Hebrew unless otherwise indicated.

For futher definition of the terminology of Chassidus, see Rabbi Nissan Mindel, Glossary, in the Bi-Lingual Edition of Likutei Amarim -- Tanya (Kehot Publication Society; London, 1973), p. 774ff.; and Rabbi Jacob I. Schochet, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, op. cit., p. 802ff.

Afikoman	the last piece of *matzah eaten at the *Seder, in commemoration of the Paschal sacrifice
alef-beis	the Heb. alphabet
Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, the	see *Shulchan Aruch HaRav
amoraim	post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the *Gemara
aravos	sprigs of willow bound with the *lulav and used during *Sukkos for the mitzvah of the *Four Species
Asiyah, the World of	(lit., "the World of Action, or Making"): the lowest of the Four *Worlds
Avinu	"our father" (used in reference to the Patriarchs)
avodah	(lit., "work" or "service"): (in universal Torah usage) divine service, particularly through prayer (see *davenen) and (in chassidic usage) through the labor of self-refinement
baal teshuvah (pl., baalei teshuvah)	(lit., "penitent"): this is the classical meaning of the term; today it is commonly misused to describe anyone who was simply born in an environment of ignorance, and who has taken the courageous initiative to come and claim his spiritual heritage when already a young adult; in the more precise terminology of the Sages (as in Shabbos 68b), such an individual is called "an infant taken into captivity among the heathen nations"
bar-mitzvah	(boy celebrating his) religious coming of age at 13
Barchu	(lit., "Bless..."): one of the responsive readings in congregational prayer (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 42)
beirurim	(lit., "clarification"): the spiritual task of sifting and refining the materiality of the universe by using it according to the directives of the Torah and thereby elevating the Divine sparks embedded within it
beis din	rabbinical court
Beis HaMikdash	the (First or Second) Temple in Jerusalem
beis midrash	communal House of Study
berachah (pl., berachos)	blessing or benediction
Beraisa (pl., beraisos; Aram.)	tannaitic statement not included in the *Mishnah; see *Talmud
Binah	(lit., "understanding"): the second of the Ten *Sefiros, or Divine emanations; the second, gestative stage of the intellectual process (cf. *Chabad), developing the original, seminal concept (cf. *Chochmah)
bittul	self-effacement
bris	covenant, esp. the covenant of circumcision
Chabad	(acronym formed by the initial letters of the Heb. words Chochmah, Binah and Daas): (a) the branch of the chassidic movement (see *Chassidus) whose roots are in an intellectual approach to the service of G-d, and which was founded by R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe; a synonym for Chabad in this sense is *Lubavitch, the name of the township where the movement flourished 1813-1915; (b) the philosophy of this school of Chassidism
chassan	bridegroom
Chassidus	Chassidism, i.e., (a) the movement within Orthodox Judaism founded in the eighteenth century by R. Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov, and stressing: emotional involvement in prayer; service of G-d through the material universe; the primacy of wholehearted earnestness in divine service; the mystical in addition to the legalistic dimension of Judaism; the power of joy, and of music; the love to be shown to every fellow Jew, unconditionally; and the mutual physical and moral responsibility of the members of the informal chassidic brotherhood, each chassid having cultivated a spiritual attachment to their saintly and charismatic leader, the *Rebbe; (b) the philosophy and literature of this movement; see also *Chabad
Chayah	the fourth (in ascending order) of the five levels of the soul (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 14:9)
cheder	(lit., "room"; pl., chadarim): (a) a Torah school; (b) a particular class within the school
Chessed	(lit., "lovingkindness"): the first of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Chitas	(cf. Bereishis 35:5; acronym of the Heb. initials of *Chumash, *Tehillim and *Tanya): the triple daily study cycles instituted by the Rebbe Rayatz (see Sefer HaMinhagim: The Book of Chabad-Lubavitch Customs (in English translation: Kehot, N.Y., 1991), pp. 38-43)
Chochmah	(lit., "wisdom"): the first of the Ten *Sefiros, or divine emanations; the first stage of the intellectual process (cf. *Chabad); reason in potentia
Chol HaMoed	(lit., "the weekday time of the festival"): the semi-festive intermediate days of *Pesach and *Sukkos
Chumash	the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch)
daven, davenen	(Yid.): (a) praying, prayers; in Chabad usage also signifies (b) the *avodah of praying at length, the reading of passages in the Siddur being interspersed with pauses for disciplined meditation from memory on related texts in *Chassidus
derush	the non-literal, homiletic interpretation of Scripture, as in the Midrash or Talmudic aggados
dikdukei Sofrim	obligations derived by the Sages from a meticulous scrutiny of the Scriptural text
Ein Sof	the Infinite One
Eliyahu HaNavi	the Prophet Elijah
Elokus	Divinity
Eretz Yisrael	the Land of Israel
erev	(lit., "evening" or "eve of"): when introducing another word (such as "Pesach") it means the day that ends with the onset of the holy day at sunset
esrog (pl., esrogim)	citron, used during the festival of *Sukkos for the mitzvah of the *Four Species
Etzem	an entity which is one integral essence
farbrengen	(Yid.): (a) an assemblage addressed by the Rebbe; (b) an informal gathering of chassidim for mutual and brotherly edification
Four Species, the	the *lulav, *esrog, *hadassim and *aravos over which a blessing is recited on each of the days of *Sukkos (see Vayikra 23:40)
galus	exile; Diaspora
Gan Eden	the Garden of Eden
gashmiyus	materiality; material reality (cf. *ruchniyus)
Gemara	(Aram.): see *Talmud
Gevurah	(lit., "power"; i.e., strict justice): the second of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
giluyim	revelations of spiritual light
hachnassas kallah	the mitzvah of dowering a [poor] bride
hadas (pl., hadassim)	sprigs of myrtle bound with the *lulav and used during *Sukkos for the *mitzvah of the *Four Species
Haftorah	(lit., "final passage"): the passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the *Chumash (cf. Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 187)
Halachah	Torah law
hamshachah	the eliciting or drawing down of Divine energy
hashpaah (pl., hashpaos)	downward flow of Divine blessings, spiritual energy and illumination
hemshech (pl., hemsheichim)	a series of *maamarim
hergesh	an intuitive spiritual insight
hiddur mitzvah (pl., hiddurim)	(lit., "embellishment"): enhancement or meticulous observance of a *mitzvah beyond the demands of the letter of the law
hiskashrus	the bond between chassid (see *Chassidus) and *Rebbe
histalkus	passing [of a tzaddik]
Hod	(lit., "splendor"): the fifth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Iggeres HaKodesh	(lit., "The Holy Letter"): part of *Tanya, consisting of pastoral letters addressed by the Alter Rebbe to the chassidic community
ikvesa diMeshicha (also ikvos Meshicha; Aram.)	the [generation that can hear the approaching] "footsteps of *Mashiach"
kabbalas ol	(lit., "the acceptance of [G-d's] yoke"): an unswerving, selfless commitment to carrying out the Will of G-d
Kaddish	(lit., "holy"; Aram.): brief prayer recited by a mourner or by the congregant leading a communal prayer service
Kaddish DeRabbanan	(lit., "the Kaddish of the Sages"; Aram.): *Kaddish recited after the study of certain post-Biblical texts (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 26)
kal vachomer	a principle of Scriptural interpretation whereby a conclusion is drawn from a minor premise or more lenient condition to a major or more strict one, or vice versa
kallah	bride
kavanos	mystical themes for devout meditation during prayer and the observance of the *mitzvos
kazayis (pl., kazeisim)	lit., the [weight or mass] equivalent of an olive
Kedushah	a passage of responsive readings recited only in congregational worship (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, pp. 52, 179, 193)
keitz	(lit., "end"): a particularly auspicious time for *Mashiach to bring the exile to an end
kelipos	(lit., "rind" or "shell"; pl. of kelipah): used figuratively (on a personal or cosmic level) to signify an outer covering which conceals the light within; hence, the unholy side of the universe
Kiddush	(lit., "sanctification"): blessings recited over a goblet of wine and expressing the sanctity of *Shabbos or a festival
Kiddush Levanah	(lit., "sanctification of the moon"): prayer service recited during the first half of every month (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 238)
kitrug	an accusatory voice in the Heavenly Court
kittel	(Yid.): white gown worn on Yom Kippur and certain other solemn occasions
klos hanefesh	expiry of the soul out of spiritual rapture
Kohen (pl., Kohanim)	"priest"; i.e., a descendant of Aharon
Kohen Gadol	high priest
Lag BaOmer	the thirty-third day of the *Omer, a minor festival falling between *Pesach and *Shavuos
LeChaim!	(lit., "To life!"): toast or blessing exchanged over strong drink
Likkutei Torah	a classic collection of chassidic discourses by the Alter Rebbe
Lubavitch	(lit., "town of love"; Rus.): townlet in White Russia which from 1813-1915 was the center of *Chabad *Chassidism, and whose name has remained a synonym for it
lulav	closed palm-branch, used during *Sukkos for the *mitzvah of the *Four Species
maamad	(lit., "support"): regular voluntary contribution made by a chassid for the maintenance of his Rebbe's household
maamar (pl., maamarim)	(lit., "word" or "[written] article"): in Chabad circles means a formal chassidic discourse first delivered by a *Rebbe
Maaneh Lashon	booklet containing the prayers and readings recited at the resting place of a *tzaddik
Maariv (also called Arvis)	evening prayer service (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 106)
makkif	the transcendent dimension of the soul that is not consciously vested in the body
Malchus	(lit., "sovereignty"): the last of the Ten *Sefiros
Mashiach	(lit., "the anointed one"): Messiah
mashpia (pl., mashpi'im)	mentor who guides chassidim in the teachings and spiritual lifestyle of *Chassidus
Matan Torah	the Giving of the Torah
matzah (pl., matzos)	unleavened bread eaten on *Pesach
melamed (pl., melamdim)	children's Torah teacher
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
middos (pl. of middah)	(a) attributes of character; spiritual emotions (e.g., the love or awe of G-d); mental states; (b) the Divine Attributes (e.g., Mercy)
Midrash	one of the classical collections of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of derush
Minchah	afternoon prayer service (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 96)
Mishkan	the Tabernacle, i.e., the temporary Sanctuary in the wilderness; see Shmos 25ff.
Mishnah	the germinal statements of law elucidated by the Gemara, together with which they constitute the *Talmud
Mishnayos	individual passages from the *Mishnah; see *Talmud
misnaged (pl., misnagdim)	opponent of *Chassidism
Mitzrayim	the Biblical name for Egypt
mitzvah (pl., mitzvos)	a religious obligation; one of the 613 Commandments
mofsim (pl. of mofes)	miracles
mohel	circumcisor
Mussar	works of ethical admonition
Nasi (pl., Nesi'im)	(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
Nefesh	(a) soul; (b) the lowest of the five levels of the soul (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 14:9)
Neshamah	(a) soul; (b) the third (in ascending order) of the five levels of the soul (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 14:9)
neshamah klalis	the comprehensive soul of a *Rebbe which is bonded with the souls of all the Jews of his generation
Nesi'im	see *Nasi
Netzach	(lit., "eternity; conquest; victory"): the fourth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
niggun (pl., niggunim)	melody, usually wordless, especially one figuring in divine service
Nu	(Yid.): untranslatable multipurpose word used in conversation (cf., in English, "Well!...") to express a variety of reactions, varying with intonation
Ohel	(lit., "tent"; synonym: tziyun): in chassidic usage means the structure built over the resting place of a tzaddik, and frequented by chassidim in prayer
Omer	(lit., a certain measure of grain): the period of 49 days counted (see *Sefiras HaOmer) from the second day of *Pesach to the eve of *Shavuos (Vayikra 23:15-16; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 340)
parshah (pl., parshiyos)	portion of the Torah read publicly each week
Parshas...	the Parshah of [a certain Shabbos or festive occasion]
Pesach	Passover, a festival of seven days (eight in the Diaspora) beginning on 15 Nissan, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt
Pesach Sheni	(lit., "the second Pesach"): opportunity given to certain persons who were unable to offer the Pesach sacrifice to do so one month later (Bamidbar 9:6-14)
pidyon [nefesh] (abbreviated pei nun)	(lit., "redemption of the soul"): note, accompanied by donation for charity, in which the writer requests the Rebbe to intercede in prayer on behalf of himself or of another person named therein
pnimi	(lit., "inward"): a man of inner integrity
pnimiyus	the innermost, mystical dimension [of the Torah]
posek (pl., poskim)	decisors; rabbis whose legal decisions are authoritative
Purim	(lit., "lots"): one-day festival falling on 14 Adar and commemorating the miraculous salvation of the Jews of the Persian Empire in the 4th cent. B.C.E.
Raavad	(Heb. acronym: Rabbi Avraham ben David, c.1125-1198, chief halachic critic of *Rambam), the tefillin of: see *tefillin
Rabbeinu Tam	(common appelation for Rabbeinu Yaakov Tam, c.1100-1171, grandson of *Rashi and one of the earliest authors of the Tosafos), the tefillin of: see *tefillin
Rambam	(Heb. acronym: Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 1135-1204): Maimonides, one of the foremost Jewish thinkers of the Middle Ages; his Mishneh Torah is one of the pillars of Jewish law, and his Guide to the Perplexed, one of the classics of Jewish philosophy
Rashbi	(Heb. acronym: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, mid-2nd cent. C.E.): prominent *tanna and author of the *Zohar
Rashi	(Heb. acronym: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105, foremost commentator on the Torah and *Talmud), the tefillin of: see *tefillin
ratzo	the passionate desire of the soul to "run forward" and cleave to its Source (as opposed to shov, which is its sober determination to return and fulfill its mission in the body)
Rebbe	(common Yid. pronunciation of Rebbe, "my teacher [or master]"): tzaddik who serves as spiritual guide to a following of chassidim
Rebbitzin	(Yid.): wife of a rav or Rebbe
Rosh Chodesh (pl., Rashei Chadashim)	(lit., "head of the month"): New Moon, i.e., one or two semi-festive days at the beginning of the month
Rosh HaShanah	(lit., "head of the year"): the New Year festival, falling on 1 and 2 Tishrei
Ruach	(lit., "spirit"): (a) soul; (b) the second (in ascending order) of the five levels of the soul (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 14:9)
ruach hakodesh	Divine inspiration
ruchniyus	spirituality; spiritual reality (cf. *gashmiyus)
Sanhedrin	the High Court of 71 sages in Jerusalem which served as the supreme authority on Jewish law
Seder (pl., Sedarim)	(lit., "order"): the order of service observed at home on the first night of *Pesach (and outside of *Eretz Yisrael on the first two nights)
sefer	a [sacred] book
Sefirah	(Counting of the Omer): see *Sefiras HaOmer
Sefiras HaOmer	(Counting of the *Omer): the formal counting of the 49 days from the second day of *Pesach to the eve of *Shavuos (Vayikra 23:15-16; Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 340)
Sefiros (pl. of Sefirah)	Divine attributes or emanations which are manifested in each of the Four *Worlds, and are the source of the ten corresponding faculties (kochos) of the soul
semichah	rabbinic ordination
Shabbos	the Sabbath
Shacharis	the morning prayer service (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 12ff.)
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
Shechinah	the Divine Presence
Shelah	(Heb. acronym which serves as the common appelation for the halachic, ethical and kabbalistic work entitled Shnei Luchos HaBris and also for its author): Rabbi Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz, c.1565-1630
Shemitah	the Sabbatical year (see Vayikra 25:1-7)
Shemoneh Esreh	prayer (also known as Amidah) which is the solemn climax of each of the three daily services (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 50)
shemurah	(lit., "guarded"; abbrev. for shemurah-matzah, more grammatically matzah shemurah): matzah made from wheat or flour that has been guarded with especial care against dampness and consequent leavening
shemurah-matzah	see *shemurah
Shimusha Rabba	(classic work whose title also serves as the common appelation of its author, Rav Sar-Shalom), the tefillin of: see *tefillin
shlichus	mission
shlimazl	(Yid.): a luckless bungler
shochet (pl., shochatim)	ritual slaughterer
Shofar	ram's horn sounded on *Rosh HaShanah
shov	(lit., "return"): see *ratzo
shtreimel	(Yid.): wide fur-brimmed hat worn by certain Jews on festive occasions
shul	(Yid.): synagogue
Shulchan Aruch	(lit., "a set table"): the standard Code of Jewish Law compiled by R. Yosef Caro in the mid-sixteenth century
Shulchan Aruch HaRav	(lit., "the Shulchan Aruch of the Rabbi"): the edition of the Code of Jewish Law compiled by the Alter Rebbe (see the table of Founders of Chassidism and Leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch)
Shushan Purim	*Purim as observed on the fifteenth of Adar, instead of on the fourteenth, in certain cities (including Jerusalem) that were walled in ancient times; cf. Esther 9:18
sichah (pl., sichos)	an informal Torah talk delivered by a Rebbe (cf. *maamar)
Siddur	(lit., "order [of prayers]"): prayer book
Siddur im Dach	(lit., "Siddur with [Commentaries of] Chassidus"): common abbreviation for the work whose formal title (as republished by Kehot, N.Y., 5725) is Tefillos MiKol HaShanah al pi Nussach HaAriZal im Pirush HaMilos al pi Dach; popularly known as "The Alter Rebbe's Siddur"
Siddur Torah Or	an edition of the *Siddur im Dach published in the late nineteenth century by Rabbi Avraham David Lavut, whose appended Shaar HaKollel supplies the sources for the Alter Rebbe's textual and halachic decisions in the Siddur
Simchas Beis HaShoeivah	(lit., "the rejoicing of the place of the water-drawing"): ceremony during *Sukkos in Temple times, recalled today by appropriate celebrations
sitra achra	(lit., "the other side"; Aram.): that aspect of the universe which is opposite to the aspect of holiness; the forces of evil
Sukkos	(lit., "Booths"): festival of seven days (eight in the Diaspora) beginning on 15 Tishrei, taking its name from the temporary dwelling (sukkah) in which one lives during this period, and marked also by the *mitzvah of the *Four Species
Tachanun	the penitential prayers recited on all non-festive days (Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 61)
takkanos (pl. of takkanah)	halachic sublaws ordained by the Sages of the various generations
tallis (or	tallis gadol, lit., "large tallis"; pl., talleisim): shawl worn by males during prayer and fringed with tzitzis (cf. Bamidbar 15:37-40)
talmid chacham (pl., talmidei chachamim)	Torah scholar of standing
Talmud	the basic compendium of Jewish law, thought, and Biblical commentary; its tractates mainly comprise the discussions collectively known as the Gemara, which elucidate the germinal statements of law (mishnayos) collectively known as the Mishnah; 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 compiled in Eretz Yisrael at end of the fourth century C.E.
tanna (pl., tannaim)	authority of the 1st-2nd. cents. quoted in the *Mishnah
Tanya	the Alter Rebbe's basic exposition of *Chabad *Chassidus; "Tanya" is the initial word of the book, which is also called Likkutei Amarim ("Collected Discourses") and Sefer shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Intermediates")
tefillin	small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with Shema Yisrael and other Biblical passages, bound to the arm and forehead and worn by men at weekday morning prayers; there are four main views as to the order in which the passages are to be arranged: the tefillin of *Rashi are worn universally; chassidim (and many others) wear in addition the tefillin of *Rabbeinu Tam; while the tefillin of *Raavad and of *Shimusha Rabba are reserved for men of especial purity
Tehillim	(lit., "praises"): the Book of Psalms
temimim (pl. of tamim)	students past or present of one of the senior yeshivos (known as Tomchei Temimim) of the *Lubavitch branch of *Chassidism
teshuvah	(lit., "return [to G-d]"): repentance
Tiferes	(lit., "glory"): the third of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
tikkun (pl., tikkunim)	the process of refining, restituting and rehabilitating the materiality of this world
tzaddik (pl., tzaddikim)	(a) completely righteous individual; (b) Rebbe
tzedakah	charity
tzitzis	see *tallis
tziyun	(lit., "monument"): see *Ohel
Worlds, the Four	the main stages in the creative process resulting from the progressive self-screening of the Divine light known as tzimtzum; in descending order: Atzilus, Beriah, *Yetzirah and *Asiyah, often referred to by their acronym as Abiya
Yechidah	the highest and innermost of the five levels of the soul (cf. Bereishis Rabbah 14:9), the level at which the soul is in absolute unity with G-d
yechidus	private interview (rather: a meeting of souls) at which a chassid seeks guidance and enlightenment from his *Rebbe
yeshivah	Rabbinical academy
Yesod	(lit., "foundation"): the sixth of the seven Divine middos, or attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middos, or spiritual emotions
Yetzer HaRa	the Evil Inclination
Yetzirah, the World of	(lit., "the World of Formation"): the third (in descending order) of the Four *Worlds
Yiddishkeit	(lit., "Jewishness"; Yid.): the Torah way of life
Yisrael	Israel; the Jewish people
Yom Kippur	the Day of Atonement, fast day falling on 10 Tishrei and climaxing the Days of Awe
Yom-Tov	a festival
Yovel	the Jubilee year (see Vayikra 25:8-16)
Yud	the tenth letter of the Heb. alphabet
Yud-Beis Tammuz	the twelfth of Tammuz; the Previous Rebbe's birthday and the anniversary of his release from capital sentence and imprisonment in Soviet Russia in 1927
zechus	merit
Zohar	(lit., "radiance"): classical work containing the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah