JC Jewish Studies key terms

The Jewish canon of sacred scripture, an acronym for Torah (Pentateuch), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). It forms the textual foundation studied in yeshivot and academic Jewish studies.

In the narrow sense, the five books of Moses; more broadly, the entire teaching of Israel, written and oral. The term carries authority across all Jewish movements, though they interpret its origins differently.

The second division of the Tanakh, containing the Former Prophets (Joshua through Kings) and Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve). Read in synagogue as haftarot following the Torah portion.

The third section of the Tanakh, including Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Five Megillot, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. Its contents vary in genre from poetry and wisdom to historical narrative.

A weekly Torah portion read publicly in synagogue. The Pentateuch is divided into 54 parashiyot, cycled annually in most communities and triennially in some Conservative and Reform congregations.

A selection from Nevi'im chanted in synagogue after the Torah reading, usually thematically linked to the weekly parashah or to a holiday. Its recitation is an ancient practice attested in rabbinic literature.

The plain, contextual sense of a biblical verse, as distinguished from allegorical or homiletical readings. Classical commentators like Rashi and Ibn Ezra often begin with peshat before offering deeper interpretations.

An interpretive method that draws out moral, legal, or homiletical lessons beyond the plain sense of the text. It underlies much of the Talmud and midrashic literature.

A genre of rabbinic interpretation that fills gaps, resolves contradictions, and derives lessons from scripture. Collections such as Bereshit Rabbah and Vayikra Rabbah preserve these readings.

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105), the preeminent commentator on Tanakh and Talmud. His concise, often midrash-inflected glosses became standard study aids across the Jewish world.

The Jerusalem sanctuary rebuilt around 516 BCE and destroyed by Rome in 70 CE. This period saw the rise of sectarian movements, the development of synagogue worship, and the emergence of rabbinic Judaism.

The rabbinic sages of the Mishnaic period, roughly 10-220 CE, whose teachings are compiled in the Mishnah. Their chain of tradition is traced in Pirkei Avot.

The rabbinic scholars of the Talmudic era, roughly 220-500 CE, who interpreted the Mishnah in the academies of Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their discussions form the Gemara.

The earliest codification of Jewish oral law, compiled by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi around 200 CE. It is organized into six orders covering agriculture, festivals, women, damages, holiness, and purity.

The foundational compendium of Jewish law and debate, comprising the Mishnah plus the Gemara. Two versions exist, Babylonian and Jerusalem, with the Babylonian Talmud being the primary object of traditional study.

The body of Jewish law and practice governing ritual, civil, and personal life. It is derived from scripture and rabbinic interpretation and is developed through responsa and codes.

A commandment or religious obligation, of which tradition counts 613 in the Torah. Colloquially the word also denotes a good deed, though technically it refers to a commanded act.

The sixteenth-century legal code of Rabbi Joseph Karo, later annotated by Moses Isserles for Ashkenazi practice. It remains a standard reference for practical halakhah.

Written rulings by rabbinic authorities answering specific legal questions, known in Hebrew as she'elot u-teshuvot. They are a major source for how halakhah develops in new circumstances.

The system of dietary laws specifying permitted foods, their preparation, and the separation of meat and dairy. It shapes home and communal life and is supervised by certification agencies.

The weekly day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, marked by candle lighting, Kiddush, synagogue prayer, and Havdalah. It is treated in halakhah as a sign of the covenant.

The blessing over wine that sanctifies Shabbat or a festival, recited at its beginning. It distinguishes sacred time from ordinary time and is traditionally said at the evening and morning meals.

The ceremony concluding Shabbat or a festival, using wine, spices, and a braided candle. It marks the transition back to ordinary time and includes blessings over each element.

The spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, observed with a Seder, matzah, and the retelling of the story in the Haggadah. It lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the diaspora.

The text recited at the Passover Seder, narrating the Exodus and structuring the ritual meal. It includes questions, midrashic commentary, psalms of praise, and symbolic foods.

The Jewish New Year, observed on the first two days of Tishrei with shofar blowing, festive meals, and prayers for divine judgment. It opens the Ten Days of Repentance.

The Day of Atonement, a fast day of confession and prayer concluding the High Holy Days. It centers on repentance and reconciliation and is the most widely observed Jewish holiday.

A ram's horn blown on Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. Its blasts serve as a call to repentance and are interpreted in rabbinic literature in multiple symbolic ways.

Repentance or return, the process of acknowledging wrongdoing, resolving to change, and seeking reconciliation with God and other people. It is a central theme of the High Holy Days.

A movement of ethical self-cultivation founded by Rabbi Israel Salanter in nineteenth-century Lithuania. It emphasizes character development and disciplined reflection on moral traits.

A pietist movement that arose in eighteenth-century Eastern Europe around the Baal Shem Tov. It emphasizes joy, devekut (cleaving to God), charismatic leadership, and distinctive prayer customs.

The opponents of early Hasidism, centered in Lithuania and led by the Vilna Gaon. They championed Talmudic scholarship and opposed what they saw as excessive emotionalism and charismatic authority.

The Jewish Enlightenment of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, associated with Moses Mendelssohn. It promoted secular learning, Hebrew language, and integration into European society.

A modern movement originating in nineteenth-century Germany that emphasizes ethical monotheism, individual autonomy, and adaptation of practice to contemporary life. It is now the largest Jewish denomination in North America.

A movement rooted in nineteenth-century Germany that seeks to conserve tradition while allowing historical development of law. It occupies a middle position between Orthodoxy and Reform.

The movement for Jewish national self-determination in the Land of Israel, formalized by Theodor Herzl in 1897. It encompasses religious, socialist, and revisionist streams with differing visions.

Immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel, literally 'ascent.' The term also denotes being called up to the Torah during synagogue reading, an honor in the service.

A rabbinic phrase meaning 'repairing the world,' now widely used for social justice and communal responsibility. Its classical usage in the Mishnah refers to legal enactments protecting social order.