World Religions: Judaism

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on the study of Judaism, covering key concepts, terms, and definitions.

Shema

Judaism's most basic theological statement: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone."

Tanakh

A common term for the Hebrew Bible, derived from the first letters of the Hebrew names of its three sections: Torah (T), Prophets (N), and Writings (K).

Mishnah

Collected teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries; along with Talmud, is the most important text of the oral Torah.

Talmud

Depository of the oral Torah, commentary on the Mishnah with extensive rabbinic commentary on each chapter, with two versions: Palestinian and Babylonian.

YHWH

How Yahweh is abbreviated out of reverence for God.

Elohim

Means 'God' in Hebrew.

Adonai

Means 'Lord' in Hebrew.

Teffilin

A box containing the Shema.

Mezuzah

A doorpost with the Shema written on it.

Torah

Contains the written Torah, Mishnah, and Talmud.

Torah

The first five books of the Bible which contains 613 laws.

Writings

Includes diverse content and style messages to comfort and challenge prophets.

Diaspora

Jews living away from their ancestral homeland, true for most Jews since the classical period.

Kabbalah

Jewish mysticism teaching that God can best be known through the heart.

Hasidism

A form of Judaism that emphasizes mysticism, community, and personal relationship with God.

Zionism

The movement seeking to re-establish a Jewish homeland.

Anti-Semitism

Hostility towards Jews and Judaism.

Holocaust

The persecution of Jews by Nazis, resulting in the murder of 6 million Jews.

Classical Judaism

In this period, the Jewish people faced oppression and completed the Mishnah and Talmud.

Medieval Judaism

In this period, Jews succeeded under Muslim rule but struggled under Christian persecution.

Zaddik

A holy man in Jewish tradition.

Orthodox Judaism

A type of Judaism that focuses on tradition and unchanging Torah.

Reform Judaism

A type of Judaism that adapts to culture, worships in a vernacular language, and is looser on laws.

Conservative Judaism

A type of Judaism that serves as a middle ground, uses Hebrew, and observes Sabbath and Kosher laws.

Sabbath

From sunset Friday until sunset on Saturday, set aside for religious celebration.

Rosh Hashanah

A festival occurring in the early fall in commemoration of the new year.

Yom Kippur

The most important holy day spent in prayer for forgiveness and fasting, falling on the tenth day of the new year.

Passover

An eight-day festival celebrated in early spring that commemorates the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

The ritual celebration marking the coming-of-age of a Jewish child, at which time they take on the religious responsibilities of an adult.

Bris

The circumcision ceremony in Jewish tradition.

Huppah

An arch used in a Jewish marriage that recreates the Garden of Eden.

groom

The participant in a Jewish marriage who breaks a wine glass with his foot to symbolize the destruction of the temple.

three

The number of stages in Jewish mourning.