Dictionary of Hebrew Words and Phrases

• Abba - Affectionate way of saying "Father"

• Achi - My brother

• Adonai - A circumlocution used for the name of YHWH during prayer or formal worship. Literally "My Lord." ("Lord" however, refers to Baal and Baal worship.)

• Aliya - Ascent, rising up, immigration to Israel of the Jewish in disporia. Also, rising up at synagogue when called to read from the Torah.

• Amen: It is true, or So be it!

• Avinu - Our Father

• B'rit - Covenant; a legally binding relationship between two or more people.

• B'rit Hadashah (or B'rit Chadashah) - The New Covenant (or "New Testament")

• Baruch - Blessed

• Baruch HaShem: Blessed be the Name (Yehudim and some Messianics use this to REPLACE the Name of YHWH.)

• Baruch HaBa BaShem YHWH: Blessed by the Name of YHWH

• Boker Tov - Good morning

• Chag HaMatzot - (Festival of Unleavened Bread)

• Chag Sameach! - Joyous Festival! (or Happy Holiday!)

• Challah - Pronounced "Halla." The word means "ring-shaped bread." It is the bread made specifically for the braided loaves of bread used for the Erev Shabbat meal.

• Diaspora - The dispersion--the scattering of the Jewish people throughout the world.

• Erev rav – Mixed multitude

• Erev Tov - Good evening

• Ger – Stranger, sojourner, temporary resident, alien, foreigner

• HaShem - A circumlocation for YHWH's personal name. Literally, it means "The Name".

• HaYesod - "The Foundation"

• Havdalah - The short ceremony at the end of the Shabbat that marks the completion of the day and the beginning of the six days of work. It means "to divide."

• Kashrut - Jewish system of dietary laws.

• Kiddush - It is the blessing given to YHWH over the wine, declaring the shabbat to be set apart from the six days of work. It means "to sanctify."

• Malchut Elohim - Kingdom of Elohim

• Mashiach (or Mashiyach) - Messiah, Christ. Literally means "anointed" or "anointed one".

• Meshugga Beach Party - The name of my favorite Jewish band. Meshuga means "crazy or senseless." You have got to hear these folks! (Once you get to their site, click on Video to hear and see them in action!) And check out the beards--especially the one on the keyboard player. (Ahem...)

• Mikvah - A type of bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion.

• Mishpuchah - A yiddish word meaning "family."

• Mitzvah - Commandment; good deed.

• Olam Haba – World to Come

• PaRDeS - Pashat, Remez, Drash, Sod - These are the four levels of Scriptural interpretation. Doctrine needs to come from Pashat text. The most famouse rule is this = "No passage ever loses its pashat through a remez, drash or sod of that or any other passage. (Source: Rav. David Pollina)

  • Pashat - the plain and simple meaning, directly what it says
  • Remez - a hint, something that is implied, but not directly stated.
  • Drash - an analogy or typology
  • SOD - a hidden meaning in the word structure itself

• Rosh Chodesh Sameach! - Happy New Moon!

• Ruach haKodesh: Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit

• Shabbat - Hebrew for "Sabbath." (Erev Shabbat = Sabbath evening, keeping in mind the evening precedes the day!)

• Shalom - Peace, tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness, integrity.  Also a common greeting.

• Shalom Aleichem - "Peace be upon you."

• Shalom uv'racha b'Yeshua HaMashiach - Peace & blessings in Messiah Yeshua

• Shanah Tovah! - Happy New Year!

• Shofar - Wind instrument, either a long Yemenite or a Ram's Horn. Translated as "trumpet" in King James version Bibles.

• Siddur - The Hebrew meaning is "order" and it refers to the Prayer Book used for services in the Synagogue.

• Slicha - Excuse me / I'm sorry

• Tanakh - This Hebrew acronym represents the Torah (first five books of the Bible), the Nevi'im (prophets) and the Ketuvim (writings). Thus, TaNaK. It is the common Hebrew way of referring the the "Old Testament."

• Todah - Thank you

• Todah Rabbah - Thank you very much!

• Torah - The Hebrew meaning is "instruction." It refers to the first five books of the bible, but in a fuller sense, "YHWH's Instructions" are contained in the whole Bible.

• Y'shua - The Hebrew name of our Messiah (usually referred to as "Jesus" in English). Other spellings are "Yeshua", "Yahshua," "Yahushua", etc.

• Yehudim - Jewish people (people from Judah or Yehuda; "im" is a plural ending)

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