How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household

by Blu Greenberg

  GLOSSARY

  ALIYAH 1. the honor of being called up to the Torah to recite a blessing; 2. each one of the seven parts of the weekly Torah portion.

  AMIDAH a prayer of benedictions recited silently and in a standing position; the central part of the prayer service.

  AVEL a mourner, one who observes Jewish laws of mourning for a deceased family member.

  BA’AL TEFILA one who leads the congregational prayer service.

  BENTSCHEN (Yiddish) recitation of Grace After Meals.

  BET DIN Jewish court of law guided by principles of halacha; three males preside.

  BET MEDRASH (or beis medrash) the study hall of the synagogue.

  BESAMIM spices, used in the Havdalah service marking the conclusion of the Sabbath.

  BIMAH 1. the front platform of the synagogue where the ark containing the Torah stands; 2. the platform which contains the Torah reading table.

  BIRKAT HAMAZON the Grace After Meals.

  B’RACHOT blessings and benedictions.

  CHAG 1. a holiday; 2. the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot.

  CHALLAH 1. the braided ceremonial bread used for the Sabbath and festivals; 2. the law concerning removal of a piece of dough for consecration.

  CHASIDIM 1. members of a religious and mystical revival movement; 2. sectarian Jews who follow the leadership of a charismatic rabbi, known as a rebbe.

  CHAZZAN the cantor or prayer leader of the synagogue or services.

  CHEVRA KADISHA the society or fellowship which performs the tasks of burying the dead in accordance with Jewish law.

  CHOL HAMOED the intermediate days of a festival.

  CHUKKIM Jewish ritual laws for which no specific reason is given for their observance.

  DAAVEN the Yiddish term meaning to pray.

  ERUV 1. the general term for several types of rabbinic enactment intended to promote the sanctity of the Sabbath; 2. the symbolic boundary around a town which encloses and transforms it into a private domain, thereby permitting one to carry objects within the circumference on the Sabbath.

  ERUV TAVSHILIN a safeguard to the sanctity of the Sabbath which allows cooking preparations for the Sabbath to be done on a festival day which falls the day before the Sabbath.

  ETROG a citron; one of the four species used ritually on Sukkot.

  GELILA rolling the Torah scroll closed and replacing its covering and ornaments.

  GEMARA the larger section of the Talmud consisting of interpretation and discussions of the Mishnah.

  GET a writ of Jewish divorce.

  HAGALAH kashering a utensil by immersion in boiling water.

  HAGBAH raising the Torah scroll aloft in an open position for the congregation to see.

  HALACHA Jewish law; the Jewish way of life (halachic: of halacha).

  HALACHOT laws of Jewish tradition; laws of a ritual or ethical nature.

  HAMOTZI the blessing recited before eating the bread.

  HAVDALAH the ritual service marking the end of the Sabbath or a holy day.

  HOSHANOT the prayers recited on Sukkot during the circuits around the synagogue, carrying the lulav and etrog in hand.

  KABBALAT SHABBAT the opening section of the Friday-evening service, the prayer service which ushers in the Sabbath.

  KADDISH the mourner’s prayer.

  KASHER the act of making kosher, as in preparing raw meat or purifying a utensil.

  KASHRUT laws or system of dietary laws of Judaism.

  KAVANNAH awareness and intention of preparing for and performing rituals; also, concentration as in prayer.

  KEDUSHA the holiness passage; part of the repetition of the nineteen benedictions; recited only with a minyan.

  KEPAH a skullcap worn as a covering of the head.

  KRIAH the act of making a tear in the garment of a mourner.

  KIDDUSH the sanctification prayer proclaiming the holiness of Sabbath or holidays; recited over a cup of wine.

  KOHEN a Jew of priestly descent; a descendant of the house of Aaron the High Priest.

  KOSHER 1. permissible to be eaten according to Jewish dietary laws. 2. an act performed on an item prepared in accordance with Jewish law.

  K’VOD HAMET the Jewish principle of honoring the dead.

  LASHON HARA speaking evil of someone when he or she is not present.

  LEVI tribe that assisted the priests in the Temple and all descendants thereof.

  LIBUN kashering by application of a direct flame.

  MAARIV the evening prayer service.

  MAFTIR the final section of the weekly Torah portion.

  MECHITZA the divider set up between the men and women in an Orthodox synagogue.

  MEGILLAH a parchment scroll, generally referring to the Book of Esther.

  MELAVEH MALKA a festive meal conducted after the end of the Sabbath.

  ME’SHEH’BAY’RACH a prayer for a sick friend or relative recited during the Torah reading.

  MEZUMAN an invitation to recite the Grace After Meals in the presence of three or more adult Jewish males.

  MEZUZAH a parchment scroll inscribed with the first two paragraphs of the Shema, and placed on the doorposts in one’s home.

  MIKVAH the ritual bath used for purification purposes.

  MINCHAH the afternoon prayer.

  MINYAN a quorum of ten or more men constituting a spiritual congregation.

  MISHNAH a part of the Talmud, primarily consisting of rabbinic law; the Mishnah is divided into six orders.

  MITZVAH 1. commandment from the Bible or the rabbinic tradition; 2. a good deed.

  MUKTZEH objects which are forbidden to be handled on Sabbaths and festivals.

  NE’ILAH the closing prayer of the Yom Kippur service.

  NEROT candles used to usher in or out the Sabbath and holidays; the mitzvah of lighting the ritual candles.

  ONEG SHABBAT a Shabbat gathering.

  PARSHAH the weekly portion of the Torah. The Torah is divided into fifty-four portions.

  PARVE (also spelled pareve) a Yiddish term for food which contains neither meat nor dairy products.

  PASUK a Biblical verse.

  PESUKAI DEZIMRA a collection of hymns from Psalms recited daily at the beginning of the morning service.

  PIDYON HABEN the act of redeeming the firstborn son of his mother.

  ROSH CHODESH the first of each month according to the lunar calendar.

  SEFIRAT HA’OMER the ritual of counting the days from Passover to Shavuot.

  SELICHOT (Selicha—singular) the penitential prayers.

  SHABBAT/SHABBOS the holy Sabbath.

  SHABBOSDIK in the spirit of the Sabbath day.

  SHACHARIT the morning prayer service.

  SHALIACH TZIBBUR one who leads the prayer service in a synagogue or minyan.

  SHECHITTA the act of ritual slaughter; also the laws pertaining to.

  SHEHAKOL the blessing said over certain foods and all beverages other than wine.

  SHEHECHEYANU the blessing recited in thanksgiving for certain acts or celebrations or experiences as they are enjoyed for the first time.

  SHEMA, SHEMA YISRAEL the central creed of Judaism; the affirmation of faith and belief in one God.

  SHIVA the first seven days of mourning.

  SHMONEH ESREH the eighteen (nineteen) benedictions; the central prayer of each of the three daily services, recited silently.

  SHOCHET one who is trained in the laws and performance of ritual slaughter.

  SHOMER one who keeps watch over the dead body until the funeral.

  SHTAR PITURIN a rabbinic document signifying that the woman has been divorced and is free to remarry.

  SHUL (Yiddish) synagogue.

  SIMCHAT HABAT a ceremony for celebrating the birth of a daughter.

  SOFER a scribe occupied in writing religious books and documents which are valid only if written by hand.

  TAHARAH the purification and preparation of a dead body by washing.

  TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAH the laws of ritual purity
between husband and wife.

  TALLIT the prayer shawl.

  TEFILLIN phylacteries, worn by males for morning prayer.

  TESHUVAH the act of repentance.

  TORAH 1. the five books of Moses; 2. the sacred texts of Judaism.

  TREFEH unfit for kosher use.

  TZEDAKAH charity; righteousness.

  TZITZIT a four-cornered garment with fringes.

  YARMULKE a skullcap worn as a headcovering.

  YESHIVA an academy for the study of the Torah.

  ZEMIROT songs sung during the Sabbath and festival meals.

  SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR A HOME LIBRARY

  Below is a relatively short list of books that includes some of the classics. For a larger and more comprehensive bibliography, write to JWB Jewish Book Council, 15 East Twenty-sixth Street, New York, NY 10010.

  I. The Basics

  The Holy Scriptures: The Torah, the Prophets, The Writings. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1982.

  The Pentateuch and Haftorahs. Hertz, J. H., ed. London: Soncino Press, 1970.

  The Soncino Books of the Bible. Cohen, A., ed. London: Soncino Press, 1947 and following.

  Mishnayoth (The Mishnah). Blackman, Phillip, ed. London: Mishna Press, 1951.

  The Babylonian Talmud. Hebrew-English ed. London: Soncino Press. Thus far, twelve volumes have been issued.

  Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem (Daily Prayerbook). Birnbaum, P., ed. New York: Hebrew Publishing Company, 1949.

  The Mahzor: High Holiday Prayerbook. 1951 ed.; Prayerbook for Three Festivals. 1971 ed. Birnbaum, P., ed. Hebrew Publishing Company.

  The Haggadah. There are scores of excellent Passover Haggadahs available. One should select an edition that is aesthetically tasteful and contains generous commentary on the text.

  In addition to the traditional commentaries on the Bible, I would also recommend The Torah: A Modern Commentary. Plaut, Gunther, ed. New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1982.

  II. Rabbinic Anthologies

  Goldin, Judah. The Living Talmud. New York: New American Library, 1955.

  Herford, R. Travers. The Ethics of the Talmud: Sayings of the Fathers. New York: Schocken Books, 1962.

  Montefiore, C. G., and Loewe, H. A Rabbinic Anthology. New York: Schocken Books, 1960.

  III. Jewish Philosophy

  Belkin, Samuel. In His Image: The Jewish Philosophy of Man as Expressed in Rabbinic Tradition. New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1960.

  Berkovits, Eliezer. God, Man and History. New York: Jonathan David, 1963.

  Fackenheim, Emil. God’s Presence in History. New York: The New York University Press, 1970.

  Heschel, Abraham J. God in Search of Man. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1955.

  Rackman, Emanuel. One Man’s Judaism. New York: Philosophical Library, 1970.

  Schwartz, Leo. Great Ages and Ideas of the Jewish People. New York: Random House, 1956.

  Soloveitchick, Joseph. Reflections of the Rav. Edited by Abraham Besdin. Jerusalem: Department for Torah Education and Culture, World Zionist Organization, 1979.

  Twersky, Isadore, ed. A Maimonides Reader. New York: Behrman House, 1972.

  Wouk, Herman. This Is My God. New York: Doubleday, 1959.

  IV. Jewish Wisdom

  Buber, Martin. Tales of the Hasidim. 2 vols. New York: Schocken Books, 1947.

  Klagsbrun, Francine. Voices of Wisdom. New York: Schocken Books, 1980.

  V. Contemporary Guides to Jewish Observance

  Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Be a Jew. A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. New York: Basic Books. 1972.

  Kitov, A. E. The Jew and His Home. New York: Shengold, 1963.

  Klein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. New York: The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1979.

  Seigel, Strassfeld and Strassfeld. The First Jewish Catalogue. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1973.

  Trepp, Leo. The Complete Book of Jewish Observance. New York: Behrman House/Summit Books, 1980.

  VI. Prayer

  Derovan, David. Prayer. New York: Yavneh Studies, 1970.

  Donin, Hayim Halevy. To Pray as a Jew. New York: Basic Books, 1980.

  Millgram, Abraham. 1971. Jewish Worship. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1971.

  Petuchowski, Jacob. Understanding Jewish Prayer. New York: Ktav, 1972.

  VII. The Holidays

  Agnon, S. Y. Days of Awe. New York: Schocken Books, 1965.

  Blinder, Yaakov, ed. Festivals and Fasts, A Practical Guide. New York: Student Organization of Yeshiva University, 1978.

  Eider, Shimon D. A Summary of Halachos of Pesach (I-IV). Lake-wood, New Jersey, 1979.

  Goodman, Philip, ed. Holiday anthologies: separate volumes for each holiday. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

  Greenberg, Irving. Holiday guides: separate publications for each holiday. New York: National Jewish Resource Center.

  Vainstein, Yaakov. The Cycle of the Jewish Year. Jerusalem: Department for Torah Education and Culture, World Zionist Organization, 1980.

  VIII. The Sabbath

  Greenberg, Irving. Guide to Shabbat. New York: National Jewish Resource Center, 1980.

  Grunfeld, Isador. The Sabbath. New York: Feldheim, 1959.

  Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1973.

  IX. Records and Books for Zemirot

  Shiron. New York: National Jewish Resource Center.

  Shiron. New York: United Jewish Appeal.

  Oneg Shabbat with USY. New York: United Synagogue Youth.

  X. Kashrut

  Dresner, Samuel. The Dietary Laws. New York: Burning Bush Press, 1959.

  Grunfeld, Isador. The Jewish Dietary Laws. London: Soncino Press, 1972.

  XI. Marriage and Taharat Hamishpachah

  Borowitz, Eugene. Choosing a Sex Ethic. New York: Schocken Books, 1972.

  Feldman, David M. Marital Relations: Birth Control and Abortion in Jewish Law. New York: Schocken Books, 1974.

  Goodman, Philip. The Marriage Anthology. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1965.

  Gordis, Robert. Love and Sex: A Modern Jewish Perspective. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1978.

  Kaplan, Aryeh. Waters of Eden: The Mystery of Mikveh. New York: NCSY-Orthodox Union, 1976.

  Lamm, Maurice. The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.

  Lamm, Norman. A Hedge of Roses. New York: Feldheim, 1966.

  XII. Parenting

  Blidstein, Gerald. Honor Thy Father and Mother. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975.

  XIII. Speech

  Kagan, Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen (Chofetz Chayyim). Guard Your Tongue. Jerusalem: Pliskin Publishing, 1975.

  XIV. Medical Ethics

  Bleich, J. David. Contemporary Problems. New York: KTAV Publishing House, 1977.

  Jacobovics, Immanuel. Jewish Medical Ethics. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1959.

  XV. Women

  Greenberg, Blu. On Women and Judaism. A View from Tradition. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1982.

  Koltun, Elizabeth, ed. Jewish Woman: New Perspectives. New York: Schocken Books, 1976.

  Meiselman, Moshe. Jewish Women in Jewish Law. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1978.

  XVI. Death and Burial

  Lamm, Maurice. Jewish Way in Death and Mourning. Middle Village, N.Y.: Jonathan David, 1972.

  Riemer, Jack, ed. Jewish Reflections on Death. New York: Schocken Books, 1974.

  XVII. History

  Roth, Cecil. A History of the Jews. New York: Schocken Books, 1970.

  Grayzel, Solomon. A History of the Jews. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1968.

  Hertzberg, Arthur. The Zionist Idea. New York: Doubleday, 1959.

  Sachar, Howard M. The Course of Modem Jewish History. New York: Dell, 1958.

  Flohr, Paul Mendez, and Reinharz, Jehuda, eds. The Jew in the Modern World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980.

  Laqueur, Walte
r. A History of Zionism. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1972.

  Davidowicz, Lucy. The War Against the Jews 1933-1945. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1975.

  Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill & Wang, 1960.

  In addition to these, every Jewish home should have a set of Encyclopedia Judaica (Jerusalem: Keter, 1972) which is an inexhaustible supply of information.

  INDEX

  abortion, 255–57

  general standard for, 255–56

  halachic rulings on, 256–57

  killing vs., 255

  Adar, month of:

  happiness in, 387

  during leap year, 303

  adoption, 250

  afikoman, 430, 433, 434–35

  agency, laws of, 285–86

  aguna, 286

  Ahasuerus, king of Persia, 387–388, 392, 395

  Akdamot, 464

  Al Chet (prayer), 339

  Aleinu (prayer), 159

  Al Hanissim (prayer), 384

  aliyah, 79, 159, 221, 276

  blessings for, 266–68, 369

  of boy at Bar Mitzvah, 79

  on Simchat Torah, 369–72

  Amidah, see Shmoneh Esreh

  amniocentesis, 257

  amud, 281

  “Am Yisroel Chai,” 369

  Ani Ma’amin, 446

  Antiochus IV, 375

  aravah, 346–47, 350

  arba kanfot, 189–93

  Asarah B’Tevet, 305, 444, 469

  Aseret Yemai Teshuvah, 313, 317, 330–31, 341

  see also Rosh Hashanah; Shabbat Shuva; Yom Kippur

  Atonement, Day of, see Yom Kippur