ב"ה
Glossary
| Naaman: (8th century BCE) A prominent Aramite general stricken with tzaraat. Elisha advised him to immerse seven times in the Jordan River. He followed the instruction and was cured. Naaman then committed to observing the Seven Noahide Laws. [3 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Naaman |
| Naanuim: the measured movements of Sukkot’s four species after the blessing and in the course of Hallel [7 related articles] Four Kinds, The » Naanuim |
| Naaseh V'nishma: Doing before understanding [19 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Events) » Naaseh V'nishma |
| Naboth: (8th century BCE) Owned a vineyard in Jezereel, which King Ahab desired. When Naboth refused to sell it, Queen Jezebel arranged for false witnesses to denounce him to the local authorities and he was stoned. As punishment, Ahab's family was annihilated and Jezebel's flesh eaten by dogs. [2 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Naboth |
| Nachat: joy and pleasure, usually from children [5 related articles] Parenting; Parenthood » Nachat |
| Nachmanides (R. Moshe ben Nachman): Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (1194-1270), known by the acronym Ramban, author of commentaries on the Torah, Talmud, and Maimonides' Sefer HaMitzvot [10 related articles] Post-Talmudic Sages » Nachmanides (R. Moshe ben Nachman) |
| Nadab & Abihu: The two older sons of Aaron. During the inauguration of the Tabernacle, Nadab and Abihu entered the Holy of Holies with an unauthorized incense offering. They were immediately consumed by a heavenly fire. [6 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Nadab & Abihu |
| Nadden: (Yiddish) dowry |
| Nahashon the son of Amminadab: Leader of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelites’ sojourn in the desert. Brother-in-law of Aaron. According to the Midrash, was the first one to leap into the Red Sea, causing it to split. [8 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Nahashon the son of Amminadab |
| Nahor: Brother of Abraham, grandfather of Rebecca and Laban. [2 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Nahor |
| Nahum: (a) (6th century BCE) A contemporary of Joel and Habakkuk, he prophesied during the reign of King Manasseh. (b) A common Jewish first name. [2 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Nahum |
| Nahum Ish Gamzu: (early 2nd century CE) Mishnaic sage, resident of Gimzo, teacher of Rabbi Akiba. He was called "Ish Gamzu" (literally, the man of "gam zu") because of his motto, Gam zu letovah (“This, too, is for the best”). He suffered great poverty and illness, yet always remained joyous. [3 related articles] Mishnaic Sages » Nahum Ish Gamzu |
| Nahum, the Book of: The book of Tanach containing Nahum's prophecies, foretelling the downfall of the Assyrian empire. [2 related articles] Prophets (Section of the Tanach) » Nahum, the Book of |
| Naomi: Wife of Elimelech, mother of Ruth’s first husband. Followed her husband to the Land of Moab, where their sons married Moabite women and then died. She and Ruth then moved back to Israel. [2 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Naomi |
| Naphtali: (a) Son of Jacob and Bilhah, sixth of the Twelve Tribes. According to the Midrash, he was phenomenally fleet-footed. (b) A common Jewish name. [3 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Naphtali |
| Nasi: (a) in Biblical times, the head of any one of the twelve tribes; (b) in later generations, the civil and/or spiritual head of the Jewish community at large [1 related article] |
| Nathan of Babylon, Rabbi: (2nd century CE) Mishnaic sage, student of Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. He left a privileged life in Babylon to study Torah in Israel, where he was eventually appointed as the head of the Sanhedrin. [1 related article] Mishnaic Sages » Nathan of Babylon, Rabbi |
| Nathan the Prophet: (a) Prophesied during the times of Kings David and Solomon, in the 9th century BCE. Famous for his rebuke of David after the Batsheba debacle as well as ensuring that Solomon would be named as David’s successor. Took part in the writing of the Book of Samuel. (b) A common Jewish name. [4 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Nathan the Prophet |
| Nazirite: One who sets himself apart for Divine service by undertaking certain ascetic restrictions. [21 related articles] Halachic Concepts & Issues » Nazirite |
| Nebuchadnezzar: (d. 397 BCE) Babylonian king. During the reign of Joiakim and Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar exiled to Babylon many of the politically powerful Jews and members of the royal family, including Daniel and his colleagues Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. When the last Jewish monarch, Zedekiah, revolted, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, and exiled most of the remaining Jews. Towards the end of his life he suffered a seven year bout of insanity. [12 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Nebuchadnezzar |
| Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: In his dream, interpreted by the Prophet Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great statue, the four parts of which represented the four empires that would dominate the exiles the Jews would experience throughout history. [2 related articles] Kings and Prophets (Biblical Events) » Nebuchadnezzar's Dream |
| Nedarim: Talmudic tractate devoted to the laws of vows—specifically when a person takes a vow rendering a specific object or act forbidden to him or her [2 related articles] Talmudic Tractates » Nedarim |
| Nedarim (Vows): (a) Vows; (b) A tractate of the Talmud that discusses the laws of vows. [54 related articles] Halachic Concepts & Issues » Nedarim (Vows) |
| Nefesh: (a) soul; (b) the lowest of the five levels of the soul |
| Nefilat Apayim: (lit. “falling on one’s face”); a stance of supplication in which the head is rested on the forearm, such as during Tachanun |
| Negev: the southern portion of Eretz Yisrael [1 related article] Israel, The Land of » Negev |
| Nehemiah: (a) A minister in the Persian King Artaxerxes' court, he returned to Israel in 335 BCE to strengthen the fledgling Jewish commonwealth. Under his leadership, the walls surrounding Jerusalem were rebuilt, increasing the city's security against its hostile neighbors. Together with Ezra, he reintroduced the observance of laws of the Torah, many of which had been forgotten in exile. (b) A common Jewish name. [8 related articles] Post First Temple (Biblical Personalities) » Nehemiah |
| Nehemiah, the Book of: The second part of the Book of Ezra, describing Nehemiah's activities as the Jewish leader during the early Second Holy Temple era; often considered an independent book of Tanach. [4 related articles] Writings (Section of the Tanach) » Nehemiah, the Book of |
| Neilah: (lit. “closing”); the fifth prayer service recited before the conclusion of Yom Kippur, when the gates of heaven are being “closed” [8 related articles] |
| Nekudot: the vocalization points which indicate the Hebrew vowels [20 related articles] Language » Nekudot |
| Ner: lamp; candle |
| Ner Neshamah: (lit. "candle of the soul"); Twenty-four hour candle lit on the eve of the anniversary of a yahrzeit and on certain other occasions. [6 related articles] |
| Nesachim: Wine libations offeredin the Holy Temple together with animal sacrifices. [5 related articles] Temple Service, The » Nesachim |
| Neshama: (a) soul; (b) the third (in ascending order) of the five levels of the soul [304 related articles] Human Being, The » Neshama |
| Neshamah Kelalit; Nasi HaDor: the comprehensive soul of a Rebbe, which is bonded with the souls of all the Jews of his generation [11 related articles] Chassidism » Neshamah Kelalit; Nasi HaDor |
| Neshek Campaign, The Rebbe's: The Shabbat Candle Lighting Campaign [14 related articles] Shabbat Candles » Neshek Campaign, The Rebbe's |
| Nesi'im: (lit.: princes or leaders) The presidents of the Sanhedrin in Roman-occupied Israel. |
| Neta Revai: (lit. "fourth year fruits"); fruit produced by a tree in its fourth year (following the three years of orlah) and which in the days of the Beit HaMikdash was eaten in Jerusalem [3 related articles] Orlah » Neta Revai |
| Netilat Yadayim (Hand Washing): (lit. "washing of the hands"); the ritual washing of the hands upon rising in the morning, before eating bread, etc. [52 related articles] Halachic Concepts & Issues » Netilat Yadayim (Hand Washing) |
| Netzach: (lit. “eternity; conquest; victory”); the fourth of the seven Divine middot, or emotional attributes, and of their corresponding mortal middot, or spiritual emotions [9 related articles] Kabbalistic Concepts & Terms » Netzach |
| Niddah: (a) The state women enter with the onset of menstrual bleeding; a woman in this state. Physical contact between husband and wife is suspended during this period, until the woman immerses in a mikvah. (b) A tractate of the Talmud that discusses the laws of niddah. [17 related articles] Family Purity » Niddah |
| Nigleh: (lit. "revealed''); the revealed levels of the Torah (e.g., Talmud and Halachah); in contrast to nistar (e.g., Kabbalah and Chassidut) |
| Nigun Hachono: "The Melody of Preparation"—this is a reflective melody, sung in preparation to singing the first Chabad Rebbe’s “Tune of Four Parts.” The Nigun Hachono was favored by the fifth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber (the Reshab), and is also known as his tune. [8 related articles] Chassidism » Nigun Hachono |
| Nigun, The: (lit. "melody") Chassidic melody, often wordless and repeated several times, which is intended to express and stir one’s soul [464 related articles] Chassidism » Nigun, The |
| Nikkur ("deveining"): The procedure of removing the sciatic nerve as well as certain forbidden blood vessels and fats from the hindquarters of a slaughtered animal. In Yiddish, this process is called “traibering.” [9 related articles] Halachic Concepts & Issues » Nikkur ("deveining") |
| Nimrod: Powerful king of Shinar (Babylon) referenced in Genesis 10:8-10. According to the Midrash, he deified himself and cast Abraham into a fiery furnace when he refused to renounce his faith in monotheism. (Abraham was miraculously saved.) Also according to the Midrash, he was Amraphel, one of the four kings whom Abraham battled (Genesis 14). [6 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Nimrod |
| Nineveh, Capital of Assyria: The prophet Jonah, in approximately 650 BCE, describes Nineveh as being "an exceedingly great city, a walk of three days" and having 220,000 inhabitants. Jonah was sent there to prophetically foretell the city's imminent destruction, due to its inhabitants’ evil ways. The people of Nineveh repented and the city was spared—as is recounted in the Book of Jonah, which is read on Yom Kippur. [1 related article] Assyria » Nineveh, Capital of Assyria |
| Nirtzah: (lit. "accepted"); the final step in the Passover seder [3 related articles] Seder, the » Nirtzah |
| Nisayon ("Test"): (lit. “test”); a challenge in one’s Divine service [23 related articles] G-d and Man » Nisayon ("Test") |
| Nissan, Month of: the Hebrew month in which Passover falls; mandated by the Torah to occur in the spring. [22 related articles] Calendar, The Jewish » Nissan, Month of |
| Nistar: (lit. “hidden”); the mystical levels of the Torah (e.g., Kabbalah and Chassidut); in contrast to nigleh |
| Nisu'in: Second and final stage of marriage (see kiddushin), which is effected by the chupah (marriage canopy) and the recitation of Seven Benedictions. [4 related articles] Marriage » Nisu'in |
| Nitzevet bat Adel (mother of King David): (c. 10th century BCE) Wife of Jesse and mother of King David. [3 related articles] Kings and Prophets » Nitzevet bat Adel (mother of King David) |
| Noach: The second Parshah (weekly reading) in the Torah [106 related articles] Genesis, the Book of » Noach |
| Noah: (a) (2704-1754 BCE) Tenth generation descendent of Adam, he and his immediate family were the only ones to remain righteous when all of humankind descended into a state of anarchy and lawlessness. He and his family survived the Flood that wiped out the rest of the human race by taking shelter in the Ark he constructed. According to the Midrash, he invented the plow. (b) A common Jewish name. [53 related articles] Five Books of Moses (Biblical Personalities) » Noah |
| Noahide Laws, The Seven: Seven universal laws -- a morality code -- which form the basis of civilization. All descendents of Noah, i.e. all of humanity, are required to follow these laws. [74 related articles] Torah, The » Noahide Laws, The Seven |
| Nob: City where the Tabernacle stood from 891-877 BCE, following the destruction of the Tabernacle in Shiloh. When David was fleeing Saul, Ahimelech, a priest in Nob, provided him with food and weapons. Saul then ordered the execution of Nob’s 85 priests. Israel, The Land of » Nob |
| Notar: (lit. "left over"); the prohibition against leaving sacrificial meat past the time when it is permitted to be eaten [2 related articles] |
| Nu: (Yiddish) multipurpose word used in conversation to urge the speaker on |
| Numbers, the Book of: The fourth of the Five Books of Moses, relates the story of the Israelites' sojourn in the desert. The main points include: the consecration of the Levites and the Kohanim, the Spies' trip to Canaan, Korah's mutiny, Balaam's attempt to curse the Israelites, and the Israelites’ war against Midian. [753 related articles] |
| Nun: the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, prounounced "n," with a numerical value of 50 [10 related articles] Language » Nun |
| Nussach: Text or version, usually of prayer. [15 related articles] |
| Nussach Ari: the order and wording of the prayers according to the teachings of the sixteenth-century Kabbalist, R. Yitzchak Luria, based on the liturgical tradition known as Nussach Sephard [7 related articles] Nussach » Nussach Ari |
| Nussach Sepharad: The order and wording of the prayers according to the tradition originating in Spain and spreading from there to all the lands of the dispersion that followed the Expulsion. [3 related articles] Nussach » Nussach Sepharad |