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Cain: Son of Adam and Eve. A farmer, he slew his brother Abel after G-d accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected his. According to tradition, he was killed by his great-great-great grandson, Lemech.
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Caleb: One of the twelve spies sent to Canaan to reconnoiter the land. He and Joshua were the only two spies who remained faithful to their mission and did not endorse the negative report conveyed by their colleagues. According to the Midrash, he was the husband of Miriam.
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Cantonists, The: Jews who, by decree of Czar Nicholas I, had been snatched from their families when they were young children for a 25-year term of military conscription.
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Cantor: One who leads the congregation in prayer
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Cave of Machpelah: The cave in Hebron, Israel, wherein are buried Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah.
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Chabad: An acronym for Chochmoh, Binah, Da'at (wisdom, understanding and knowledge); the name of a chassidic movement – predicated on the concept of studying and understanding G-d and His relationship with the world – founded by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in White Russia in the latter part of the 18th century. This movement is also known as Lubavitch, or Chabad-Lubavitch.
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Chabad-Lubavitch: A chassidic movement founded by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in the latter part of the 18th century that emphasizes the importance of "Chabad," an acronym for “Chochmoh, Binah, Da’at” (wisdom, understanding and knowledge); the concept of studying and understanding G-d and His relationship with the world. Lubavitch is the name of the townlet in the county of Mohilev, White Russia, which served as the center of the Chabad Chassidism for four generations.
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Chabadnik: (colloq.) adherent of Chabad
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Chabakkuk: (6th century BCE) A contemporary of Joel and Nahum, he began prophesying during the reign of King Manasseh.
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Chabakkuk: The book of Tanach containing Habakkuk's prophecies, foretelling the Chaldean victory over the Judeans, Chaldea’s ultimate downfall, and asserting G-d's justice.
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Chadash: Chadash ("new") -- Grain that took root before Passover and is Biblically forbidden to be eaten until the 16th of Nissan.
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Chafetz Chaim: Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, 1838-1933; important rabbinical figure of the European Jewish community before World War II; author of Chafetz Chaim (a work on the evils of slander), after which he is called, and the Mishnah Brurah (a codification of Jewish law); lived in Radin, Poland
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Chag: Festival. Usually a reference to one of the three biblical festivals: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.
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Chag HaMatzot: (lit. “festival of Matzot"); another name for the festival of Passover
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Chaggai: The book of Tanach containing Haggai's prophecies, admonishing the Jews to build the Second Holy Temple.
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Chaggai: (4th century BCE) A contemporary of Zechariah and Malachi, the last of the prophets; member of the Great Assembly; urged the Jews to build the Second Temple.
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Chagigah: (lit. "festival"); (a) festive offering, a sacrifice brought to the Temple on festivals; (b) a tractate of the Talmud dealing with such sacrifices
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Chaim: life; also a common Jewish name
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Chakikah: engraving
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Chalat: (Yiddish) a dressing gown, esp. one in the style worn by chassidim
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Chalavi: Pertaining to milk and its by-products; a category of the kashrut laws.
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Chalitzah: (lit. "taking off"); a ceremony whereby the widow of a childless husband is released by the brother of the deceased, thus permitting her to remarry somebody else.
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Challah: (lit. "bread loaf"); a) a tithe of dough for the Kohen; (b) a braided loaf baked in honor of Shabbat
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Chalukat HaShas: (lit. "division of the Six Orders of the Mishnah"); apportioning the tractates of the Talmud for yearly study
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Cham: Son of Noah, survived the Flood together with his family by entering the Ark. Was cursed for his behavior during his father's drunken episode. Progenitor of Canaan.
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Chametz: Leavened products derived from wheat, barley, oat, spelt or rye. Chametz is forbidden throughout the holiday of Passover.
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Chamin: Casserole-like dish prepared before the start of Shabbat and kept warm, usually for Shabbat lunch, developed to avoid the prohibitions against cooking on Shabbat
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Chananiah: (a) (c, 400 BCE) Exiled to Babylon together with Daniel, Mishael, and Azariah, where they were trained to be chamberlains in the royal court. Despite the personal risk involved, they refused to eat the royal non-kosher cuisine. They were later appointed to government positions. They were thrown into a furnace after refusing to bow to an idol erected by Nebuchadnezzar. Miraculously, they emerged unscathed, as described in the Book of Daniel. (b) A common Jewish name.
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Chananiah ben Akashia: Hananiah ben Akashia, RabbiMishnaic sage.
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Chananiah ben Teradion: (2nd century CE) Mishnaic sage, father of Rabbi Meir’s wife Beruriah. He directed a Torah academy in Siknin, and was renowned for his scrupulously honest administration of charity funds. He was one of the Ten Martyrs, wrapped in a Torah Scroll and burned alive by the Roman for publicly teaching Torah.
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Chanina ben Dosa: (1st century BCE) Mishnaic sage, resident of the Galilee, pupil of Johanan ben Zakkai, and renowned miracle worker. Known for his great piety. Suffered great poverty.
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Chanoch: (a) (3138-2773 BCE) Son of Jared. A righteous man who “walked with G-d.” He ascended to heaven alive. (b) Son of Cain.
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Chanukah (Hanukkah): (lit. “rededication”); eight-day festival beginning on 25 Kislev, celebrating the Maccabees’ recapture of the second Temple from the Syrian Greeks, and its rededication, marked by the kindling of lights on a menorah or chanukiah
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Chanukah Gelt: (Heb. Yiddish, lit. "Chanukah money"); Money gifts given on Chanukah
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Chanukah Menorah: The eight-branched menorah (candelabra) kindled on Chanukah commemorating the miracle of Chanukah.
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Chanukat Habayit: (lit. “dedication of the house”); housewarming
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Chanukiah: The eight-branched menorah (candelabra) kindled on Chanukah commemorating the miracle of Chanukah.
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Charan: Former residence of Abraham’s family; where Jacob met and married his wives and lived for 20 years.
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Charoset: (from the Hebrew "cheres-clay"); a paste similar to clay reminiscent of the clay the Jews used while enslaved in Egypt, made of apples, nuts and wine, into which the maror is dipped at the Passover seder
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Chassid, The: (lit. "pious"); (a) one who goes beyond the letter of the law (b) a member of the chassidic community; one who follows the ways of Chassidism and studies its teachings (c) an adherent and follower of a chassidic Rebbe
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Chassidism: (a) The movement within Judaism founded by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), stressing service of G-d through the mystical in addition to the legalistic dimension of Judaism, the power of joy, love of G-d and one's fellow, emotional involvement in prayer, finding G-dliness in every aspect of one's existence, and the elevation of the material universe; (b) the teachings and philosophy of this movement; see also Chabad
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Chattan: bridegroom
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Chatzi Kaddish: half kaddish
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Chatzot: (a) midnight; (b) the Tikkun Chatzot prayer recited at midnight, lamenting the destruction of the Temple; (c) midday.
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Chava: First woman, mother of all mankind. Formed from her husband Adam's rib. Seduced by the Serpent to eat from the Tree of Knowledge.
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Chayah: (lit. "living"); the fourth (in ascending order) of the five levels of the soul
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Chazakah: (a) An act of property acquisition. (b) The halachic status of permanence that is established when an event repeats itself three times. (c) An entity’s assumptive state based on its nature or personal track record.
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Chazan: (lit. "cantor"); one who leads the congregation in prayer
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Chazarah: (lit. “repetition”); in the chassidic context, the oral repetition of a memorized discourse
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Chazeret: (lit. "bitter vegetable"); the vegetable used for maror (bitter herbs) at the Passover seder
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Cheder: (lit. "room"); Torah school for young children
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Cheftza: (lit. "object") Prohibitions or obligations may define the status of the "cheftza," the object or act in question, in contrast to those which mandate the behavior of the "gavra," the person.
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Cheftza: (Aramaic, lit. “entity”): a term used to imply that the relevant halachic obligations affect the object rather than the person involved (gavra)
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Cheirem: (lit. "excommunication or dedication"); a ban of excommunication issued by the rabbinical authorities against an individual or group
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Chesed (Benevolence; Love): (lit. "kindness or grace"); used to refer to the Divine attribute (sefira) which parallels the abovementioned human qualities and thus is associated with the dispersion of G-dly light and energy to lower levels of existence.
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Cheshbon HaNefesh: (lit. “an account of the soul”); a process of stocktaking and introspection with regard to one’s Divine service
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Cheshvan, Month of: Hebrew month corresponding to October-November; also called MarCheshvan
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Chet: the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, prounounced as a guttural "ch," with a numerical value of 8
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Chevra Kadisha: (Aramaic, lit. “the holy society”): the society that attends to the ritual cleansing (taharah) and burial of the deceased and oversees the management of the community cemetery
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Chibut HaKever: (lit. "purgatory of the grave"); a punishment for certain sins
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Chilul HaShem: (lit. “profaning the Name [of G-d]”); an act that brings discredit or reflects badly on the Torah, Torah scholars, the Jewish religion, or the Jewish people
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Chinuch:
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Chitat: a daily study regimen instituted by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn of Lubavitch which includes a portion of Chumash (Torah), Tehillim (Psalms) and Tanya (the fundamental book of Chassidut)
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Chochmah: (lit. "wisdom; conceptual knowledge"); in Kabbalistic-Chassidic terminology, refers to the first of the ten sefirot, or divine emanations and the first of the intellectual powers of the soul
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Chochmot Chitzoniot: (lit. "external wisdom"); science, or secular knowledge in contradistinction to Torah
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chok: A mitzvah that transcends rational reason. Plural: chukim.
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Chol Hamoed: (lit. “weekday during the festival”); the semi-festive intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot
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Cholam: one of the Hebrew vowel signs
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Cholent: (possibly derivative of the French 'chaude-lent' hot-slow); casserole-like dish prepared before the start of Shabbat and kept warm, usually for Shabbat lunch, developed to avoid the prohibitions against cooking on Shabbat
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Chomer: (lit. "material"); the material, as opposed to the spiritual
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Choni Hameagel: Mishnaic sage, lived through the Second Temple’s . Known for his efficacious prayers. He is known as Honi the “Circle Maker” because he once ended a severe drought by drawing a circle in the earth and telling G-d that he would not leave the circle until it would rain.
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Choshen (the breastplate): the breastplate worn by the High Priest containing twelve precious stones inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel
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Choshen Mishpat: (lit. “the breastplate of judgment”); the fourth section of the legal codes, the Tur and Shulchan Aruch, dealing with laws of judicial procedure, monetary affairs, real and personal property, property damages and personal injuries, etc.
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Chronicles, the Book of: The (two-part) final book of Tanach, authored by Ezra, chronicling the events from Creation until the return of the Babylonian exiles to the Land of Israel.
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Chukim: "Decrees." These are the mitzvot that transcend rational reason, unlike both mishpatim and edot. The quintessential chok (singular for chukim) is the mitzvah of the red heifer.
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Chuldah: A prophetess, descendant of Joshua and Rahab, contemporary of Zephaniah and Jeremiah. She was approached for guidance when Hilkiah the High Priest found a Torah scroll in the Holy Temple in 458 BCE.
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Chumash: The Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses.
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Chupah: (lit. "canopy"); (a) the canopy under which a wedding ceremony is solemnized; (b) the wedding ceremony
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Chutzpa: Insolence.
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Cities of Refuge (Orei Miklat): In biblical times, six cities in the Land of Israel were designated as "cities of refuge." A person who accidentally killed someone found safe haven there from avenging relatives.
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Code of Jewish Law: The "Shulchan Aruch", compiled by R. Joseph Karo (1488-1575 C. E.)
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Cosmetics:
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Counting of the Omer: The formal counting of the 49 days from the second day of Passover to the eve of Shavuot, signifying our preparation for the receiving of the Torah on the holiday of Shavuot.
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Creation, The World of: (lit. “creation”); more specifically creation ex nihilo; in Kabbalistic terminology, the second of the four spiritual worlds, the realm of spiritual existence which represents the first beginnings of a consciousness of self
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