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Bentsher
A bentcher, birchon or birkon (pl. bentchers, birchonim, birkonim) is a booklet of prayers based around a particular event such as the Jewish sabbath. The most common form is Birkat Hamazon often titled - Seder Birkat Hamazon (Order of Grace after Meals) in Hebrew. Some editions actually have the Birkat Hamazon prayer in the back, appearing almost as an afterthought. Bentchers are commonly known as ''birchonim'' in Modern Hebrew and Sephardic communities. Bentchers are used widely in the various religious and traditional communities of Jews, such as Orthodox, Sephardic, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Mizrahi, Chassidic, Orthodox Feminist, as well as other communities. Bentchers are often decorated with scrollwork, illuminations, pictorial backgrounds on each page, photo pages and by other means. This is in the tradition of ''hiddur mitzvah'', or beautification of the mitzvah. There are several services currently available that customize the bencher using graphics, logos and/ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon ( "The Blessing of the Food"), known in English as the Grace After Meals ( "to bless", Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew language, Hebrew blessings that Halakha, Jewish law prescribes following a meal that includes at least a kezayit (olive-sized) piece of bread. It is understood as a mitzvah (Biblical commandment) based on Book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 8:10. Birkat Hamazon is recited after a meal containing bread or similar foods that is made from the Chametz#The five grains, five grains, with the exception of bread that comes as a dessert (') and food that does not possess the form or appearance of bread ('), in which case a blessing that summarizes the first three blessings (') is recited instead. It is a matter of rabbinic dispute whether ''Birkat Hamazon'' must be said after eating certain other bread-like foods such as pizza. Except in teaching situations, ''Birkat Hamazon'' is typically read individually after ordinary meals. The blessing can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the Genesis creation narrative, creation of the heaven and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt. Since the Hebrew calendar, Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday. Shabbat observance entails refraining from 39 Melachot, work activities, often with shomer Shabbat, great rigor, and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that the unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the Abraham ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bar And Bat Mitzvah
A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" ''b'nai mitzvah'', at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. Traditionally, the father of a ''bar'' or ''bat mitzvah'' offers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child's sins. In Orthodox communities, boys become ''bar mitzvah'' at 13 and girls become ''bat mitzvah'' at 12. In most Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities, the milestone is 13 regardless of gender. After this point, children are also held responsible for knowing Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life to the same extent as adults. In some Jewish communities, men's and women's roles differ in certain respects. For example, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simcha
''Simcha'' ( ; , ) is a Hebrew language, Hebrew word that means "gladness", or "joy", and is often used as a given name. Uses The concept of simcha is an important one in Jewish philosophy. A popular teaching by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a 19th-century Chassidic Rabbi, is "Mitzvah Gedolah Le'hiyot Besimcha Tamid", "it is a great mitzvah (commandment) to always be in a state of happiness". When a person is happy one is much more capable of serving God and going about one's daily activities than when depressed or upset. Jews often use ''simcha'' in its capacity as a Hebrew and Yiddish noun meaning festive occasion. The term is used for any happy occasion, such as a wedding, bar mitzvah or engagement. Holidays The day of Simchat Torah, "Rejoice in the Law", marks the completion and beginning of the annual cycle of reading the Torah. Other uses Simcha is also the name of a kosher beer from Saxony, Germany. It was also a slang term used in Jewish-American organized crime circles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chuppah
A ''chuppah'' (, ) is a canopy under which a Judaism, Jewish couple stand during their Jewish wedding, wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together. In a more general sense, ''chuppah'' refers to the method by which ''nessuin'', the second stage of a Jewish wedding, is accomplished. According to some opinions, it is accomplished by the couple standing under the canopy along with the rabbi who weds them; however, there are other views., Chapter 18 Customs A traditional chuppah, especially in Orthodox Judaism, recommends that there be open sky exactly above the chuppah, although this is not mandatory among Sephardic communities. If the wedding ceremony is held indoors in a hall, sometimes a special opening is built to be opened during the ceremony. Many Hasidic Judaism, Hasidim prefer t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → and → the digraph , Cyrillic → , Armenian → or Latin → . For instance, for the Greek term , which is usually translated as 'Hellenic Republic', the usual transliteration into the Latin script (romanization) is ; and the Russian term , which is usually translated as 'Russian Republic', can be transliterated either as or alternatively as . Transliteration is the process of representing or intending to represent a word, phrase, or text in a different script or writing system. Transliterations are designed to convey the pronunciation of the original word in a different script, allowing readers or speakers of that script to approximate the sounds and pronunciation of the original word. Transliterations do not change the pronunciation of the word. Thus, in the Greek above example, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernacular
Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is more codification (linguistics), codified, institutionally promoted, literary language, literary, or formal. More narrowly, a particular language variety that does not hold a widespread high-status perception, and sometimes even carries social stigma, is also called a vernacular, vernacular dialect, nonstandard dialect, etc. and is typically its speakers' native language, native variety. Regardless of any such stigma, all nonstandard dialects are full-fledged varieties of language with their own consistent grammatical structure, phonology, sound system, body of vocabulary, etc. Overview Like any native language variety, a vernacular has an internally coherent system of grammar. It may be associated with a particular set of vocabulary, and sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minhag
''Minhag'' ( "custom", classical pl. מנהגות, modern pl. מנהגים, ''minhagim'') is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, '' Nusach'' (נוסח), refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers. Etymology The triliteral () means primarily "to drive" or, by extension, "to conduct (oneself)". The actual word ''minhag'' appears twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times in the same verse and translated as "driving": Homiletically, one could argue that the use of the word minhag in Jewish law reflects its Biblical Hebrew origins as "the (manner of) driving (a chariot)". Whereas halakha "law", from the word for "walking path," means the path or road set for the journey, minhag "custom", from the word for driving, means the manner people have developed themselves to travel down that path more quickly. The present use of minhag for "custom" may have been influenced by the Arabic ''minhaj''; in current Islamic usage, this term is u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nusach (Jewish Custom)
In Judaism, Nusach (, , plural ''nusaḥim'', ) is the exact text of a prayer service; sometimes the English word "rite" is used to refer to the same thing. Nusakh means "formulate" or "wording." Texts used by different communities include Baladi-rite prayer, nusach Ashkenaz, nusach Sefard, nusach edot haMizraḥ, Italian Nusach and the nusach Ari. A textual nusach is distinct from a musical one; the latter refers to a community's musical style or tradition, particularly the chant used for recitative prayers such as the Amidah. Meanings ''Nusach'' primarily means "text" or "version", the correct wording of a religious text or liturgy. Thus, the ''nusach tefillah'' is the text of the prayers, either generally or in a particular community. In common use, ''nusach'' has come to signify the entire liturgical tradition of the community, including the musical rendition. It is one example of '' minhag'', which includes traditions on Jewish customs of all types. Varieties Nus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheva Brachot
''Sheva Brachot'' (; literally, "the seven blessings"), also known as ''birkot nissuin'' (; literally, "the wedding blessings") in ''Halakha'', are blessings that have historically been recited during the wedding of a Jewish couple. There are two stages to a Jewish wedding: betrothal (''erusin'') and establishing the full marriage (''nissuin''). Historically, there was a year between the two events, but the two are combined during contemporary Jewish wedding ceremonies. Although the ''Sheva Brachot'' are recorded and recited as a harmonious unit, the blessings are actually a mosaic of Biblical origination. It is uncertain who composed the benedictions in the form recorded in the Talmud, but the blessings likely originated centuries before their inclusion in tractate ''Ketubot''. Occasion In the seventh century, it was traditional for the blessings to be said at the groom's house, and at the house where the bride had spent the night previous to the marriage; this is still the tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jewish Wedding
A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Halakha, Jewish laws and Jewish culture, traditions. While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ''ketubah'' (marriage contract) that is signed by two witnesses, a ''chuppah'' or ''huppah'' (wedding canopy), a wedding ring, ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy, and the breaking of a glass. Technically, the Jewish wedding process has two distinct stages. The first, ''erusin, kiddushin'' (Hebrew for "betrothal"; sanctification or dedication, also called ''erusin'') and ''nissuin'' (marriage), is when the couple start their life together. It is at the first stage (kiddushin) when the woman becomes prohibited to all other men, requiring a ''Get (divorce document), get'' (religious divorce) to dissolve it, while the second stage permits the couple to each other. The ceremony that accomplishes ''nissuin'' is also known as ''chuppah''.Made in Heaven, A Jewish Wedding Guid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brit Milah
The ''brit milah'' (, , ; "Covenant (religion), covenant of circumcision") or ''bris'' (, ) is Religion and circumcision, the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism, during which the foreskin is surgically removed. According to the Book of Genesis, God commanded the Patriarchs (Bible), biblical patriarch Abraham to be circumcised, an act to be followed by his descendants on the eighth day of life, symbolizing Covenant of the pieces, the covenant between God in Judaism, God and the Jewish people. Today, it is generally performed by a mohel on the eighth day after the infant's birth and is followed by a celebratory meal known as ''seudat mitzvah''. ''Brit Milah'' is considered among the 613 commandments, most important and central commandments in Judaism, and the rite has played a central role in Jewish history, the formation and history of Jewish culture, Jewish civilization. The Talmud, when discussing the importance of ''brit milah'', considers it equal to all ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
