Jewish Word Glossary
Glossary Key
abbr. = abbreviated esp .= especially Heb. = Hebrew lit. = literally n = noun |
pl. = plural pron. = pronounced usu. = usually v = verb Yid. = Yiddish |
A |
B | C
| D |
E | F
| G |
H | I
| J | K |
L
M |
N | O
| P |
R | S
| T |
U | V
| W | X | Y
| Z
T
- ta'am
- taste; sample
- tachlis
- (Yid.) essence, substance; worth; basics, "brass tacks"
- tachrichim
- lit.=wrappings: traditional garb for a deceased's remains, including a cloth shroud and belt
- taharah
- purity; the purification process for a deceased's remains prior to burial
- taharat mishpacha
- lit.=purity of the family: series of practices concerning marital intimacy
- tahor
- pure, in the spiritual sense
- taitch
- lit.=interpretation: (Yid.) translation, esp. of Hebrew to Yiddish
- taikef (u'miyad)
- immediately (and at once)
- takanah
- amendment to a halachah, esp. to adjust to a recent development
- takkah
- (Yid.) really; "As a matter of fact..."
- talit (pl. taliot)
- prayer shawl
- talmid (chochom)
- lit.=(wise) student: (noteworthy) sage
- Talmud
- Mishna with its relevant Gemara, bound together
- Tamuz
- 10th Jewish month (Jun-Jul), 17th is Shiv-asor B'Tamuz
- tana'im
- lit.=conditions: pre-ceremony signing of the wedding contract between bride's and groom's parents, after which the couple's mothers together break a plate to signify a fait accompli (not to be confused with the ketubah, a contract between the bride and groom themselves).
- Tana'im
- lit.=teachers: compilers of Mishna
- Tanakh/TaNaKh
- Acronym for Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim; together they represent the entirety of Jewish Scripture
- tante
- (Yid.) aunt
- tarfos
- that which is trayf
- Tashlich
- Rosh HaShanah practice of throwing bread, etc. into water, symbolically casting away our sins
- tateh
- (Yid.) father
- tayglach
- small, fruit- or nut-filled pastries, dipped in honey
- tchep
- pester, irritate
- techina
- sesame paste, a Mid-Eastern food
- tefillah
- prayer
- tefillin
- biblical passages on parchment scrolls, placed in small boxes and affixed with leather straps, worn during prayer
- Tehillim
- Psalms
- teibeleh
- lit.=little dove: (Yid.) darling one
- teiva
- craving, urge
- teretz
- reason, explanation, excuse
- Tevet
- 4th Jewish month (Jan), 10th is Asoroh B'Tevet
- Three Weeks
- period of mourning from Shiv-asor B'Tamuz to Tisha B'Av
- thirty-nine melochot
- 39 categories of "work" prohibitted on Shabbat
- tichel
- kerchief; headcovering, esp. for married women
- tikun
- study book for layning
- tikun layl Shavuot
- all-night study session on the eve of Shavuot
- tikun olam
- the repair or completion of the world
- tikva
- (Heb.) hope
- tipesh
- fool [n]
- tisch
- lit.=table: groom's pre-ceremony wedding reception
- Tisha B'Av
- the 9th of Av, a major fast day for the destruction of the Holy Temples (both First and Second), in summer
- Tishrei
- 1st Jewish month (Sep-Oct), 1st is Rosh HaShanah, 10th is Yom Kippur, 15th is Succot, 22nd is Sh'mimi Atzeret, 23rd is Simchat Torah
- t'kia
- shofar blast of one long sound
- todah (rabbah)
- "Thank you (very much)"
- Torah
- the written Jewish law
- tov
- (Heb.) good [adjective]
- tovah
- (Heb.) goodness; (Yid.) favor [n]
- tractate
- section of the Talmud
- trayf
- lit.=torn: not kosher
- trombenik
- lit.=trombone-like fellow: (Yid.) braggart, one who "toots his own horn"
- trop
- marks indicating musical notes for reciting (or "chanting") the Torah, Haftarah, Megillah, etc.
- tru'a
- shofar blast of nine staccato sounds
- truma
- tenth of a crop, given to kohanim
- Tu B'Shvat
- the 15th of Shvat, Jewish Arbor Day
- tuchus
- lit.=under: buttocks
- tumler
- lit.=tumbler: clown; agitator
- tzadik
- righteous person, esp. a rabbi.
- tzadreit
- (Yid.) mixed up
- tzar ba'aleh chaim
- the suffering of living things
- tzarich
- (Heb.) need [v]
- tzechisht
- (Yid.) distraught
- tzedakah
- lit.=justice: charity
- tzeiter
- tremble, shiver
- tzelem
- image; picture, photograph
- tzevah
- color
- tzevah adom
- lit.=the color red: "Red alert!"
- tzibur
- congregation
- tzimis
- carrot/pineapple compote, usu. with raisins or prunes; a hullabaloo [slang]
- tzitzit
- fringes worn on the corners of a four-cornered garment; the garment and fringes together
- tzniut
- modesty, esp. of dress
- tzom
- day of fasting
- tzuros
- (Yid.) pains; troubles, problems, distresses (from "tzora'as," a disease mentioned in the Torah usu. defined as "leprosy" but actually a physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise.)
- tzutzik
- (Yid.) ambitious or energetic person
- Tzvah Haganah L'Yisrael (Tzahal)
- Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel's army