Jewish Terms and their Meanings
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Group |
Description |
Reference |
| B'nai B'rith | Sons of the Covenant | |
| Ba'al ha-bayit | Head of the household. | |
| Ba'al Keri | One who has suffered a night-time impurity. | |
| Ba'al Shem | "Master of the Divine Name"; literally "Possessor of the Name"; a title given in popular usage and in Jewish literature (especially in kabbalistic and hasidic works from the Middle Ages onward), to one who possessed the secret knowledge of the Tetragrammaton and the other "Holy Names". | |
| Ba'alei Teshuvah | "Masters of Repentance"; eloquent praise for the true penitent who returns to a full commitment to the practice and observance of Judaism. | |
| Ba'alut | Ownership | |
| Ba-Midbar | Book of Numbers; in the Talmud it is called Hummash ha-Pekudim, which corresponds to its name in English. | |
| Babylonian Talmud | The interpretation and elaboration of the Mishnah as it was carried on in the great academies of Babylon. | |
| Badhan, Badhanim | "Entertainer", especially at weddings. | |
| Bahur | A young man, those selected for military fitness. | |
| Baki | "Expert"; person possessing expertise in a particular field of ritual law. | |
| Baki be-Shas u-Fosekim | A person well versed in Talmud and rabbinic literature. | |
| Baki be-tiv Gittin | A person well versed in divorce law. | |
| Baki bi-terefot | A person well versed in dietary laws. | |
| Bamah, Bamot | High places where sacrifices were offered. | |
| Bar Mitzvah | "Son of the commandment"; a term denoting both the attainment of religious and legal maturity, as well as the occasion at which this status is formally assumed for boys at the age of 13 plus one day. | |
| Baraita, Beraitot | The Aramaic for the Hebrew "hizonah", meaning "outside". A baraita is thus a Mishnah hizonah, i.e. an outside Mishnah. This term covers every halakhah, halakhic Midrash, and historical or aggadic tradition, which is "outside" of Judah ha-Nasi's Mishnah. | |
| Barukh she-Amar | "Blessed be He who spoke", benediction opening the section of Shaharit called "passages of song". | |
| Basar be-halav | Dietary laws; also called "Kashrut". | |
| Bashert | Soul mate, the ideal spouse. | |
| Bassar shamen | Fat meat | |
| Bat Mitzvah | "Daughter of the commandment", term denoting both the attainment of religious and legal maturity, as well as the occasion at which this status is formally assumed for girls at age 12 years plus one day. | |
| Batlanim | "Men of leisure"; originally an honourable title conferred on those who either wholly or partly abstained from work to free themselves for community service. Same as "Asarah Batlanim". | |
| Bava Kamma | "The first gate"; tractate of the Talmud; the first of the order Nezikin. | |
| Bava Mezia | "The middle gate"; tractate of the Talmud; the second of the order Nezikin. | |
| Bedikoth and Hakiroth | Cross-examination of witnesses. In "Hakiroth" the focus is on time and place; in "Bedikoth" the focus is on the accompanying circumstances of the crime, such as the weapon, the clothes worn, etc. | |
| Bein ha-Arbayim | Twilight; first part of the new day; period starting at sunset and ending with full darkness. | |
| Bein ha-Mezarim | "Between the straits"; the three weeks between two fasts, 17th of Tammuz to 9th of Av, a time of mourning. | |
| Bein ha-Shemashot | Rabbinic term for twilight, the transition period between sunset and night; the first part of the new day, called "bein ha-arbayim" in Exodus 12:6. | |
| Beinonit | "Medium land"; used in the context of creditors recovering a debt. | |
| Beit Yosef | A Commentary on Arba'ah Turim, written by Joseph b. Ephraim Caro. The four parts of this work are: Orah Hayyim, Yoreh De'ah, Even ha-Ezer, and hoshen Mishpat. | |
| Bekhor, Bekhorot | The firstborn | |
| Belial, Beliar | Worthlessness; used to refer to Satan. | |
| Ben sorer u-moreh | A rebellious son | |
| Ben Temalyon | The name of a demon who accompanied Simeon b. Yohai to Rome to intervene before the Roman emperor on behalf of the Jews. | |
| Benei adam | sons of men, human race | |
| Benei Bathyra | The elders of Bathyra | |
| Benei ha-Medinah | Self-governing institutions for the Jews, set up in almost all territories of the Holy Roman Empire where, during the second half of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century, Jewish communities either still existed or had been reestablished after the expulsions at the end of the Middle Ages. Also called "Kehal Medinah". | |
| Benei Hoshekh | "Sons of darkness"; expression used in the Dead Sea scrolls. | |
| Benei Hushim | Christian reform movement, the Hussites; also called "Avazim". | |
| Benei Meheimnuta | Sons of faith. | |
| Benei Mikra | Sons of the Scriptures, name for the Karaites | |
| Benei Or | "Sons of light"; expression used in the Dead Sea scrolls. | |
| Benei Yisrael | Sons of Israel | |
| Benshen | "Bless", term used by the Ashkenazi | |
| Bentsch | A blessing commonly said after a meal. | |
| Berah Dodi | "Make haste my beloved"; Hebrew liturgical poetry used in the morning prayer of the first day of Passover in the Ashkenazi rituals. | |
| Berakhah Aharonah | A prayer of thanks after a meal. | |
| Berakhah, Berakhot | Benedictions; formulas of blessing or thanksgiving. | |
| Bere'shit | The Book of Genesis. | |
| Berel and Shmerel | The "John Doe" of Judaism; also used in jokes. | |
| Berit | Covenant | |
| Berit Milah | Covenant of circumcision. | |
| Bet Din, Battei Din | House of judgment; a Jewish court of law. | |
| Bet ha-Mikdash | The temple, the sanctuary. | |
| Bet Hatunot | A wedding hall. | |
| Bet Hillel | School of Hillel. | |
| Bet Shammai | School of Shammai. | |
| Beta Israel | The black Jews of Ethiopia; also called "Falashas". | |
| Beth din haggadol | The Great Court of Justice, where the full Sanhedrin met | |
| Betulah | Virgin, maiden. | |
| Bezim | Eggs | |
| Bia | The Talmudic term for sex. | |
| Bikkur holim | Visiting the sick. | |
| Bikkurim | First fruits. | |
| Bimah | Elevated place, platform, the pulpit used for reading the Torah. | |
| Binah | Intuition, understanding. | |
| Birkat ha-Chama | Blessing of the sun; a prayer said once every 10,227 days, at the end of the sun's 28-year cycle. It is always said on a Wednesday morning when the sun is visible. See also "Machzor Gadol". | |
| Birkat ha-Hodesh | Announcement of the new moon. | |
| Birkat ha-Levanah | Blessing of the moon. | |
| Birkat ha-Mazon | Final prayer after meals. | |
| Birkat ha-Minim | Benediction concerning heretics; invoking divine wrath upon slanderers, enemies, etc. | |
| Birkat ha-Shir | A prayer recited at Sabbath services. | |
| Birkat ha-Torah | The blessing over the law. | |
| Birkat Kohanim | Priestly blessing. | |
| Bisula | Talmudic term for a virgin. | |
| Bittul ha-Tamid | Literally "abolition of the daily offering"; used to refer to interruption of prayers and of Torah reading in the synagogue, to seek redress of a wrong, mainly a judicial or moral one. This is also called "ikkuv ha-keri'ah" and "ikkuv ha-tefillah". | |
| Bochur | An unmarried man learning in a yeshiva, a Jewish orthodox school. | |
| Bogeret | A girl above the age of 12 years and 6 months. | |
| Brit Milah, Bris | The covenant of circumcision, circumcision. |