Glossary

admu”r - (adonenu, moreinu, verabbeinu - “Our master, teacher, and Rebbe”). Generally used as a reference to a great tzadik , or righteous person, and specifically to the leaders of Chassidic sects, the successors of the Ba’al Shem Tov.

bechira chofshi - free choice - the principle according to which every individual is empowered to make unconstrained moral decisions and hence be held accountable for his or her conduct, be it good or evil. This principle (as opposed to “determinism”) is the basis for the entire concept of mitzvot and averot , and of reward and punishment in Judaism, as well as in human ethics in general.

bittul - self-nullification. - Antonym: ego, yeshut. - The intent is not merely humility. Chabad Chassidut explains that no entity has true existence, since all existence is continuously sustained by G-d’s creative energy. Thus, the true value of any creation is its degree of nullification towards its source, G-d. The more something nullifies its desires and sense of self, the closer it is to true life. Conversely, even if something seems to be “good” and “alive,” if it is separated from its Creator, it is actually a false existence, which is concealing the life, truth, and goodness within it.

Chochmot Chitzoniot – external wisdom – science, or secular knowledge based on observation of the world. Distinguishable from Torah which is based on revelation.

Chumriut - materialism - In Chabad Chassidism, materialism is a distinctive grade of physicality. Physicality is merely the property by which something can be felt with one of the five senses. Materialism involves a coarse self-statement by the physical, which asserts that its existence is independent of any transcendent reality including G-d. In Chassidic terminology: That which is physical merely conceals the truth, while the material proclaims that falsehood is true.

Gaonim - After the era of the Talmud was completed, there were several generations of scholars interpreting the Talmud who were known as Rabanan Savurai. The era immediately following that one is known as the “era of the Gaonim,” as the heads of the academies in Babylon were known. During this period, many decrees were passed, thousands of responsa were sent to Jews throughout the civilized world of the time, and many important books were compiled. The majority of those books were lost, and only in recent times have many of these manuscripts come to light. This period began in 589, and concluded in 138 C.E.

gematria – Hebrew numerology – a kabalistic tradition interpreting biblical verses on the basis of the numerical equivalents of Hebrew letters.

Halacha LeMoshe MiSinai - A Halachic tradition whose source is not from a verse, or from an interpretation of a verse, but rather was transmitted orally by Moses. Many of these traditions are found in the Talmud, and act as the basis for practical laws.

kochot hanefesh - powers of the soul - In general, Kabbalistic and Chassidic works talk about ten “powers” or faculties: The three intellectual ones - chochmah (insight, wisdom), binah (development, understanding), and da’at (application, knowledge). And the seven emotional attributes: chessed (kindness, giving), gevurah (severity, withholding), tiferet (beauty, mercy), netzach (victory, prevailing), hod (splendor, acknowledgment), yesod (foundation), and malchut (royalty).

nefesh haElokit and nefesh habahamit (G-dly soul and animal soul) - According to Chabad Chassidism every person has an “animal” soul, which includes intellect and emotions, as they are directed to the fulfillment of animalistic urges. In addition, a Jew possesses also a G-dly soul, which is “a part of G-d above.” It, too, possesses intellect and emotions, as they are directed toward Torah and Mitzvot. In nearly everyone, they are in dynamic tension for control of a person’s thoughts, speech, and actions.

olamot elyonim - supernal worlds - In Kabbalistic works there is generally reference made to four spiritual worlds: Atzilut - Emanation, Beriah - Creation, Yetzirah - Formation, and Asiyah - Action. In each one of these worlds, the Divine energy becomes progressively more disconnected from its source, thus beginning to feel itself as a separate entity. Our physical world is the lower half of the world of Asiyah, sometimes known as Asiyah HaGashmit.

Poskim - The great Halachic authorities after the Talmudic era (such as the Rif, Rambam, Rosh, Tur, Bayt Yoseph, etc.)

ratzo veshov (ebb and flow, lit. run and return) - (based on Yechezkel 1:14.) The nature of angels and souls who are inflamed with love for G-d is that they are first drawn ('run') to completely break out of their defined selves and connect with spirituality. Then, they bring that love back with them ('return') to a recognition that they must serve G-d within the defined limits and context of whichever world they are in.

reshus - Permitted matters, as opposed to mitzvot — which we are obligated to perform, and issurim — forbidden activities.

tohu and tikun – At the beginning of creation, the Torah tells us, the world was in a spiritual condition called Tohu (chaos). In Kabbalistic and Chassidic literature, the exalted levels of tohu are explained as having had “great lights in small vessels,” i.e. that chesed , the attribute of kindness, for instance, existed on its highest possible plain, and could not tolerate the opposite attribute of gevurah. Therefore, this ultimately led to shevirat hakeilim – the breaking of the vessels, when the light departed from them. This “break” was planned by G-d in the first place, for it was a “destruction for the purpose of building,” since only then could there exist the orderly world we are familiar with, the world of tikun (order) This world possesses lesser lights, but the vessels are plentiful. The sparks of holiness that “fell” when the vessels were broken are hidden within various parts of our world, and awaiting their “correction” through man’s Divine service.

tzimtzum - constriction, constraint - According to the Arizal’s approach to Kabbalah, at the start of creation G-d constrained withheld and concealed His great, infinite light, in order to allow the revelation of a limited light and the creation of finite worlds. Chabad Chassidism explains that the constriction is only in the light, not in the source, and is not a true constriction but rather only from the perspective of the recipients.