Jewish History II | Terms and Definitions | Quiz 1

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Terms and definitions for our first quiz in Jewish History II

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60 Terms

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1492

The year the Edict of Expulsion was issued by Spain, forcing Jews to convert or leavethe country. This marked a significant moment in Jewish history, leading to the diaspora

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1497

The year Portugal expelled or forcibly converted its Jewish population after the Spanish Inquisition began, further contributing to the Jewish diaspora

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Marranos

It means swine in Spanish. Jews in Spain and Portugal who converted to Christianity but secretly practiced Judaism. They faced persecution and discrimination, often living in fear of discovery

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Conversos

Jews who converted to Christianity, sometimes voluntarily but often under coercion, while some secretly maintained their Jewish practices.

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New Christians

 A term used for converted Jews (Conversos) and their descendants in Spain and Portugal during the late 15th and 16th centuries, who were often subject to suspicion and persecution by both the Catholic Church and society

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Portuguese Inquisition, 1536-1539

The establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal, targeting Conversos suspected of secretly practicing Judaism and enforcing Catholic orthodoxy through trials and punishments

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Sephardic Jewry

The Jewish community originally from the Iberian Peninsula, particularly Spain and Portugal, also known for their unique cultural and religious traditions

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Samuel Usque

A 16th-century Sephardic Jew, historian, and author known for his work on the expulsion of Jews from Spain

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Ottoman Empire

A Muslim empire that welcomed Sephardic Jews after their expulsion from Spain and provided them with opportunities for economic and cultural flourishing.

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Theodicy

The theological question of why a just God allows suffering, relevant to Jewish exile and persecution and the existence of evil in the world.

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Dona Gracia Mendes

A wealthy Sephardic Jewish woman who helped Jewish refugees escape persecution

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Exile, diaspora

The dispersion of Jews from their ancestral homeland, particularly following the Spanish expulsion

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Joseph Karo

A Sephardic rabbi who authored the Shulhan Aruch, a major Jewish legal code and is considered one of the most important codifiers of Jewish law

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Moses Isserles

A Polish rabbi who added Ashkenazic customs to Karo’s Shulhan Aruch and is known for his authoritative commentary, the Mappa

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Shulhan Arukh

A 16th-century code of Jewish law by Joseph Karo, later expanded with Ashkenazic customs

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Minhag/Customary Law

Jewish traditions and customs specific to different communities

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Mappa

A gloss added by Moses Isserles to the Shulhan Aruch to incorporate Ashkenazic traditions

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Ashkenazic Jewry

Jews originating from Central and Eastern Europe, with distinct customs from Sephardic Jews

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Lurianic Kabbalah

A form of Jewish mysticism developed by Isaac Luria

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Zimzum/contraction

A Kabbalistic concept where God ________ His essence to create space for the world

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Shevirat Ha-kelim/Breaking of the Vessels

A mystical idea that divine vessels shattered, leading to the existence of evil and the need for restoration

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Kelippot/husks or shells

Impure forces that trap divine sparks, which must be redeemed

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Tikkun/repair, restoration/Redemption

The spiritual process of repairing the world and restoring divine harmony

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Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

A Talmudic sage traditionally believed to have authored the Zohar

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Theurgy

The belief that human actions can influence the divine realm

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Theosophy

Mystical knowledge regarding the nature of God

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Sefirot

The ten divine attributes or emanations in Kabbalah

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Sefer ha-Bahir (The Book of Brightness)

An early Kabbalistic text

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Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Splendor)

A foundational work of Jewish mysticism

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Ayn-sof (there is no end)

The infinite, unknowable aspect of God in Kabbalah

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Esoteric

Hidden or secret teachings, often referring to Kabbalistic knowledge

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Exoteric

Teachings meant for public or general understanding

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Maggid Mesharim/Preacher of Righteousness

A mystical voice that guided Joseph Karo

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Solomon Alkabetz

 A Kabbalistic poet, author of Lecha Dodi

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Moses Cordovero

A Kabbalist who systematized early Kabbalistic thought

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Isaac Luria

The founder of Lurianic Kabbalah

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Hayyim Vital

The primary disciple of Isaac Luria, who recorded his teachings

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Shekhinah (God’s Feminine Presence)

The divine presence in the world, often linked to exile and redemption

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Devekut (Communion or Union with the Divine)

A mystical state of closeness to God

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Yihudim (Combinations of letters)

A Kabbalistic practice of meditating on divine names

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Havurot (mystical fellowships)

Groups devoted to Kabbalistic study and spiritual practice

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Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Ben Isaac)

A medieval French rabbi known for his commentaries on the Torah and Talmud

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Tosafists (“Elaborators”, Additions)

Scholars who wrote extensive commentaries on Rashi’s Talmudic interpretations

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Tkhines

Women’s supplicatory, private prayers in Yiddish

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Tsenerene

A women’s Yiddish Bible, known as “Go Forth and Gaze”

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Bolesław the Pious

A 13th-century Polish ruler who granted rights to Jews

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1569: Creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

A political union between Poland and Lithuania, where Jews had significant autonomy

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Latifundia/plantations

 Large agricultural estates often leased to Jews

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Szlachta/nobles

The Polish-Lithuanian aristocracy

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Magnates (wealthiest nobles)

The most powerful noble families in Poland-Lithuania

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Arenda (lease of immovable property)

A leasing system where Jews managed estates and collected taxes

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Arrendator (lessor, person who holds the lease)

A Jewish lessee responsible for managing estates

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1596, Union of Brześć/Uniate Church

An agreement bringing Eastern Orthodox Christians under Catholic authority

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1648-1649

The years of the Cossack uprising led by Bogdan Chmielnicki, which devastated Jewish communities

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Nathan of Hanover

A Jewish chronicler of the Chmielnicki massacres

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Bogdan Chmielnicki

A Cossack leader responsible for the 1648 massacres of Jews and Polish nobility

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Yeven Mezulah/Abyss of Despair

A historical account of the Chmielnicki massacres

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Va’ad de-Arba Aratsot (Council of the Four Lands)

The governing body of Polish-Lithuanian Jewry, overseeing communal affairs

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Kahal/Jewish municipality

A self-governing Jewish community structure

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Communal autonomy

The system that allowed Jewish communities to govern their own religious and civil affairs