HEBREW
SCRIPTURES
AGGADAH
That portion of rabbinic teaching which is not
concerned with religious laws and regulations.
AMIDAH:
A standing prayer that is the center of any Jewish
religious service
CHUMASH
A compilation of the Torah
and readings from some of the prophets
GEMARA
Commentaries on the Mishnah
HAFTARAH
Designates a specific section of the Prophets read
during the weekly Torah portion
HAGGADAH
The book read during the Passover Seder
HALAKHAH (HALACHAH)
Jewish Law
KABBALAH
A system of Jewish theosophy and mysticism - ZOHAR – Mystical side of Judaism.
Despite it current trendiness, it's really not for beginners; traditionally,
only mature scholars who had mastered the Talmud even considered studying it.
MEGILLAH
One of five books of the Bible (Esther, Ruth, Song
of Songs, Lamentations and Ecclesiastes
MESORAH
Jewish “tradition” – different than Christian
tradition
MIDRASH
To inquire. Commentary of Scripture that is not in
the “halaka” – provides moral lessons –
various collections of interpretations, commentaries, and notes on Torah
and, to a lesser extent, other books of the Bible; many are figurative or
homiletically rather than plain text legal.
MISHNAH
The Oral Laws. Books containing the Six Major
Division or “Orders” covering every aspect of Jewish Law – the basis of the Talmud – First compilation of the Oral Law,
which explains many details of observing the Torah.
PIRKEI AVOT
Ethics of the Fathers. A tractate of the Mishnah devoted to ethical advice from many of the
greatest rabbis
TALMUD
Oral Law – contains both the Mishnah plus associated later commentary (the Gemara), usually printed with additional later
commentaries to give more explanation. Warning: Mishnah and
Talmud are not written in a simple, easily understood style; don't look at them
expecting to find a clear, line-by-line commentary on the Torah, because that's
not at all what they are!
TANAKH (TN”K)
The Jewish Bible, consists of the Torah, the
Writings and the Prophets
TANYA
A book on chassidus, which was written by R.
Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the first Lubavitcher Rebbe,
also called the Alter Rebbe).
TORAH
The Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Levities,
Numbers and Deuteronomy)
HOWEVER, regarding Torah, please note the
difference between the terms "Five Books of Moses," the
"Chumash," "Torah" and "Pentateuch.
Five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, were
dictated by God to Moses. Thus, they are known as the "Five Books of
Moses."
In Hebrew they are known as the Chamisha Chumshei
Torah, Five books of the Torah. Each book individually is called a
"Chumash."
The word "Torah" comes from the Hebrew
word ho'ra-ah meaning "guidance" or "instruction." It is
primarily applied to the Five Books of Moses but colloquially encompasses the
entire body of Jewish studies.
In other words, the Tanakh, in the colloquially
sense means the Torah – whereas, the Chumash means the Five Books of Moses.
A "Sefer Torah" is the handwritten Torah
scroll read in the synagogue each Shabbat, Monday and Thursday.
Pentateuch is the Greek word for the Five Books of
Moses.