Unit 1 Word Glossary Flashcards
Monotheism
The belief that there is only one god.
Ark
The ark is the most important part of any synagogue. The ark is a cupboard that contains the Torah scrolls. It is always situated at the front of the building, on the eastern wall – the wall that faces towards Jerusalem. The doors of the cupboard are usually covered by a curtain called a parochet. During the service, the curtain will be pulled back, the doors opened and a scroll will be carried from the ark to be read.
Ner Tamid
Above the Ark of the covenant hangs a lamp: the Ner Tamid lamp. Ner tamid means “Eternal Light” and is the name given to the lamp that always
burns at the front of the synagogue, usually over the doors of the ark. This
permanent light symbolises the eternal omnipresence of God. Traditionally, the
ner tamid would have been an oil lamp, but these days, an electric light is
usually used instead.
Yad
When someone reads the Torah, they follow the words with a pointer called a yad so that the ink is not damaged by sweaty or greasy fingers. The word “yad” means “hand” because the tip is often shaped like a pointing hand. Hebrew is read from right to left – the opposite direction to English.
Bimah
When a Torah scroll is read in a synagogue, it is unrolled on a raised reading stage called a bimah. The bimah is often in the middle of the synagogue so that everyone can hear the words of the Torah as they are read aloud.
Everything about the treatment and position of the Torah shows how special it is to Jewish people – as the words of G- d, the Torah scrolls are treated with the utmost respect and reverence. The raised Bimah platform is a way of reminding the congregation that G-d is above them and that the words of the Torah are His words. The Bimah also
represents the altar from the original Temple in Jerusalem. Jewish synagogues today do not have altars, but the Bimah represents the sacrificial altar and helps the people to remember their Temple and their history.
In some synagogues, the Bimah is more like a stage – a large platform. In other smaller synagogues the Bimah may be smaller too but it will still be raised higher than the people and usually in the centre.
Rabbi
The rabbi and the chazzan lead the synagogue services. The word “Rabbi” means “teacher” and it’s the name given to the
person who has the responsibility to teach the Torah to the congregation. The Rabbi will often run mid-week classes at the synagogue, and also spends a lot of time giving help and advice to the community. “Chazzan” means “cantor” or “singer” and it’s the name given to the person who leads the prayers and hymns in a synagogue. In Orthodox and Conservative synagogues, the Rabbi and Chazzan will always be men, but in Reform synagogues, women can be Rabbis or Chazzans as well.
Torah
The Torah contains 613 rules about how Jews should live!
10 Commandments
The 10 Commandments are probably the most famous of the 613 mitzvot, but they are not the only rules Jews have.
Covenant
The covenant is a promise that God made with Abraham. According to the covenant, God would offer protection and land to Abraham and his descendants, but they must follow the path of God. God then commanded Abraham and his future generations to perform the ritual of circumcision (brit milah) as a symbol of the covenant.
Tanakh
Also known as the Old Testament, this is the whole Jewish Bible which includes a collection of religious writings in the ancient times by the Israelites. The Tanakh has 24 books including the 5 books of Torah, historical books, wisdom books (Ketuvim), Major Prophets (Nevi’im) and the twelve Minor Prophets.
Ketuvim
The wisdom books of the tanakh. It is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi’im (prophets).
Nevi’im
The Nevi’im is the second major division of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh), between the Torah (instruction) and Ketuvim (writings). The Nevi’im are divided into two groups, the former prophets and the later prophets.
Shema
Shema is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services.
Western wall
is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the “Western Wall”.[3] The wall was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great,[4] which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount, in a huge rectangular structure topped by a flat platform, thus creating more space for the Temple itself, its auxiliary buildings, and crowds of worshipers and visitors.
Pharaoh
The term applied in the Old Testament to the kings of Egypt.
