Questions tagged [words]
Questions about the definitions, meaning and use of words specific to Judaism or words that carry unique meaning in Jewish law.
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List of Hebrew Words in Aleph-Beis Order? [closed]
To help me study Chumash, where can I find a downloadable list of most commonly used Hebrew shorashim in Aleph-Beis Order? (Rav Hirsch dictionary is phenomenal but I'm not going to retype the whole ...
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Connection Between Liver & Honor?
Seeing that lashon hakodesh allows for analyzing the connection between similar rooted words, what is the connection between liver (כבד) and honor (כבוד)?
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A Table Representing the altar
I’ve heard of the concept that שולחנו של אדם דומה למזבח, a person’s table resembles the altar.
Does anyone know where this wording can be found?
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Why does it say “of Puvah, the clan of the Punites“?
In Bamidbar (26:23):
בְּנֵ֤י יִשָּׂשכָר֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם תּוֹלָ֕ע מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַתּוֹלָעִ֑י לְפֻוָ֕ה מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַפּוּנִֽי׃
Descendants of Issachar by their clans: [Of] Tola, the clan of the ...
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Meaning of Targum's translation of Seraph - קליא
In Parshas Chukkas, God commands Moses to make a Seraph and put in on a standard:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁה עֲשֵׂה לְךָ שָׂרָף וְשִׂים אֹתוֹ עַל־נֵס וְהָיָה כָּל־הַנָּשׁוּךְ וְרָאָה אֹתוֹ וָחָי׃
Then ...
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Is there a list of all of the cases in the Talmud where תיקו ("Teiku") is said?
Sometimes in the gemara there are questions that for whatever reason are unable to be answered, and to such a question the gemara simply says "teiku" (usually translated to mean "let it stand").
Does ...
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Explain usage of "kaved" re Moshe's raising his hands w/ war of Amaleq
In Shemot 17:12 it says:
וידי משה כבדים
Targum (and Rash"i in a sense) translates כבדים as יקרן, which I gather means "precious".
I don't know where or how this translation fits here. Doesn't כבד ...
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Does Maharal, Maharsha or Zohar discuss the concept of how שָׁלוֹם, שְׁלֵמוּת, שָׁלֵם are associated with one another?
Rav Shimon Schwab writes that the word שָׁלוֹם is related to שְׁלֵמוּת, completion, שָׁלֵם, perfection (on Iyov, page 67)
Does anyone know if the Maharal, Maharsha or Zohar say such a concept?
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Is there math in Torah?
I have watched a nice movie back in the day that deals with numbers.
In one of the scenes. A Jewish man comes to The Mathematician and tells about how the Hebrew uses the same "letters" as letters ...
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Where do the words יְרִידַת הַדּוֹרוֹת come from?
There is a term in Judaism called יְרִידַת הַדּוֹרוֹת, the diminishing spiritual level of subsequent generations.
Where do the words יְרִידַת הַדּוֹרוֹת originate from? Is it posuk, mishna or gemara ...
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What type of cedar wood was used to build the Bais Hamikdash?
Related Acacia wood or Cedar
We see that ארז (cedar) was used for the Bais Hamikdash Melachim 1 9:11
And we see that there are many types of ארז (cedar) Bava Basra 80b and Midrash Tanchuma Teruma ...
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Origin of the word dati (דָּתִי) [duplicate]
Is there any Talmudic sources that claim the origin of the Hebrew word “dati” (דָּתִי) comes from the Avestan word daena?
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Meaning of komemiyyut (קוֹמְמִיּוּת)
The word "komemiyyut" (קוֹמְמִיּוּת) appears only once in the Torah:
אֲנִ֞י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִֽהְיֹ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם עֲבָדִ֑ים וָאֶשְׁבֹּר֙ ...
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What does the term “mohel” mean in Hilchot Melicha (salting)? [closed]
In Siman 69:20, there’s reference to a “ma’aseh Rashi”, in which Rashi rules that what comes out after shiur melicha is “mohel” and not “dam”. What does “mohel” mean here?
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Shoteh in the gemara
The Gemara in many places including Berachot 15b talks about a shoteh(imbecile). What type(characteristics)of people does the gemara refer to as "Shoteh"?
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How many words are there in the Zohar?
Zohar (with and w/o the Tikunei Zohar)
Tikkunei Zohar
Also is there a site/place that lists or
otherwise aids in wordcounts for different
Jewish books /Seforim ?
TYVM
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How do we know that ממחרת השבת means from the first day of Pesach and not the seventh?
How do we know that ממחרת השבת means from the first day of Pesach and not the seventh?
Don't they both deserve to be called שבת?
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Gav vs. Gabei (ha)Mizbei'ach
In morning davening, we say "שֶׁנֶּעֱקַד עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ" (the only English I could find online, at Chabad.org, translates as "bound on the altar").
There are, though, 2 formulations of the ...
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Where is an introduction to the concept of "מתיר" (regarding offerings)?
Mishnayot Menachot 2:5 introduces (as far as this tractate is concerned) the term "מתיר", which I take to mean, in the context of offerings, something like "condition which permits something" or maybe ...
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Greeting on Yom Hashoah [duplicate]
What is the proper greeting on Yom hashoah?
I am not Jewish but do have some Jewish friends and would like to know how to greet them on this day of remembrance.
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What is the difference between חוכמה and חָכְמָה?
Previously I heard יקר מחוכמה מכבוד סכלות מעט but in the book קֹהֶלֶת I read
יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד, סִכְלוּת מְעָט
What is the difference between חוכמה and חָכְמָה ?
Are they just two different ...
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What is an Inyan? Is it different to a Minhag?
Is there a difference between an ענין and a מנהג? If so, what is it?
Examples differentiating the concepts would be useful.
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Who is a boor בור? [closed]
The Talmud frequently calls an individual a "boor". Two examples:
It has been reported: If one has learned Tanach and Mishnah but not Talmud, Rabbi Eleazar says he is an ignoramus [am ha-aretz]; ...
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Within Judaism is there a tradition of interpreting individual letters such as with YHVH
Two recent questions on Christianity Stack have got me thinking about the way some people interpret the divine name. One answer gave this interpretation:
Yod - י Hand
Hey - ה Open Window, to reveal
...
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Is there a difference between מכות and מלקות?
The two terms seem to mean the same thing, both referring to lashes. Even in Mishnayos, they seem to be used interchangeably. For instance, in Makkos 1:2:
מְעִידִין אָנוּ בְאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי ...
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Significance of Torah Midpoint
What is the significance of the middle of the Torah in letters being the vav in גָּחוֹן (Vayika 11:42)? (source: Kiddushin 30a)
What is special about the vav in גָּחוֹן that the Almighty chose to ...
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Meaning of Purim
What is the origin/meaning of the word Purim? I always assumed it meant the multiple lots of Haman, but I just heard a shiur saying the word Purim comes from "pirurin" - little things - of the ...
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Mishloach Manos or Shalach Manos?
What is the proper grammar of giving/receiving mishloach manos/shalach manos? I've heard people use both terms as in, "I'm preparing mishloach manos for tomorrow" and "I hope to bring the shalach ...
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Rav or Rebbi Acha Sar HaBirah?
R' Acha Sar HaBirah is mentioned in a few places in shas. Rashi tells us that 'Sar HaBirah' was his nickname. However, in some places his title is רב, while in other places he is mentioned as רבי. ...
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Meaning of Zekher Livracha (ז"ל - Of blessed memory)
The literal translation of ז"ל is "of blessed memory"
What does it mean to bless memory? How does it help the soul?
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What are the differences between Limmud and Chinuch?
In Kiddushin 29b it says "a father is obligated... to teach his son Torah" (האב חייב בבנו... וללמדו תורה) and in Nazir 29a it says "a father is obligated to educate his son" (איש חייב לחנך בנו).
What ...
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Corner of a garment vs. corner of a field vs. corner of a face
Related to this question.
Regarding the obligation to affix fringes, the Torah commands them to be attached to the corners (kanfei) of the clothing. But when it comes to our fields and our faces, the ...
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Origin of the word “pushka” [closed]
European Jews tend to use the word “pushka” for ‘charity box’. What is the origin of the word?
As far as I can tell, Slavic languages use somewhat similar sounding words for ‘container’. In ...
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Gemara word for QED
I'm trying to remember the Gemara word for the equivalent of QED, when an argument would be settled between competing opinions and nothing more would be said about the issue.
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Is there a Jewish race? [closed]
I've never been comfortable with the term "race" when applied to people, as people are all part of the "human race". But, according to thefreedictionary.com, the word "race&...
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Why is the colour כחול ('blue') not mentioned in Tanach?
The colour כחול is not mentioned in Tanach. Given it's wide usage in later hebrew texts, why does it never feature in Tanach? Do any sources pick up on this?
(There is a different debate about what ...
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Where is there a rabbinic recipe for milk and honey?
Where is there a rabbinic recipe for milk and honey?
Shir HaShirim 4:11 "honey and milk are under your tongue" דְּבַ֤שׁ וְחָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְ
From this passage, which to me seems to suggest a ...
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Root of the word פרעה
The Hebrew word פרעה (Pharaoh) is probably directly derived from (a phonetic way to pronounce) the Egyptian word.
But it reminded me of the Hebrew root פרע as seen in Exodus 32:25 which is actually ...
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The difference between ארון and תיבה in the Torah
I'm a little confused here: in contemporary Hebrew the difference is simple - a box that opens on the side [and has a door] is called a cabinet (ארון) while a box that opens on the top is called a box ...
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Why don't we say "please" (that often)?
The week day Shmoneh Esrei prayer has a series of requests during which we ask Hashem for many of our needs. In my siddur (Tefilla Hashalem) there is a subtle change made in the texts of 1 of the ...
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Different kinds of Moshav Leitzim clowns
On Avoda Zara 18b, there's a list of multiple Moshav Leitzim examples:
תנו רבנן ההולך לאיצטדינין ולכרקום וראה שם את הנחשים ואת החברין בוקיון
ומוקיון ומוליון ולוליון בלורין סלגורין הרי זה מושב לצים
I'...
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What does it mean "vus iz de nafke meene" [closed]
What is the exact definition of "Vus iz di nafke meene"?
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Moreh Makom or Mar'eh Makom
A Torah source is often referred to as a M"M, which I have heard read as both מורה מקום, Moreh Makom and מראה מקום, Mar'eh Makom, (see here for example) which have similar meanings, and mean something ...
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Why the Hebrew word for "fathers" - אבות ends in "ות" as feminine?
To continue the "gender in Hebrew" questions (like "meaning-of-grammatical-gender-in-hebrew-for-inanimate-objects)".
What can be more masculine than the fathers, and still, the ...
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Why is it called Seder Nashim?
Why is Seder Nashim called Seder Nashim?
The mitzvos discussed do apply to women (except for some tangents like the 7th chapter of Sotah), but so do:
The overwhelming majority of Zeraim (everything ...
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What does כסיה mean?
The Gemara in Pesachim 117a brings a disagreement whether כס יה, in the last pasuk of Beshalach, is one word or two. As far as I know all modern Sifrei Torah (Ashkenazi, Sefardi, Teimoni) have two ...
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Why 1/6th - שתות in the Mishna is in Aramaic?
It appears suspicious to me, that an Aramaic word Shtut is used everywhere in the Hebrew text of the Mishnah, like in:
"שׁוּם הַדַּיָּנִין שֶׁפִּחֲתוּ שְׁתוּת אוֹ הוֹסִיפוּ שְׁתוּת..." (...
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Different words for "a corner" in Tanach
There appear to be three different words in Tanach that are translated as "a corner":
Pinah (shmot 26:2)
Kanaf (Shmu'el 1 24:4)
Keren (I haven't found one yet, but this site says that its use as "...
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Why does ויאמר almost never use לאמר, and why does וידבר almost always use לאמר?
It seems that whenever Tanach says ויאמר, "and he said," it almost never uses the word לאמר, "saying."1
Conversely, whenever Tanach says וידבר, "and he spoke," it almost always uses the word לאמר, "...
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Since when "Gdol Hador" refers to a scholar as opposed to a Tzadik?
Gemmorah Psochim 49b:
"תנו רבנן לעולם ימכור אדם כל מה שיש לו וישא בת תלמיד חכם;
לא מצא בת תלמיד חכם ישא בת גדולי הדור,
לא מצא בת גדולי הדור ישא בת ראשי כנסיות וכו'"
Rashi:
"גדולי הדור - ...
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