/****************************************************************************************** * * Definitions * * This file contains all the definitions of Jewish and Hebrew terms. This * consists of 2 arrays and a lookup function. One array contains the defined * words; the other the associated definitions to be displayed. Each word and its * associated definition must have the same index. * *******************************************************************************************/ //****************************************************************************************** // Global Arrays //****************************************************************************************** var definedWords = [ // The defined words. "aliyah", "aliyot", "ark", "aron kodesh", "aufrufs", "baal keri'ah", "bet midrash", "bikur holim", "bimah", "brit milah", "chazan", "chazanim", "chazan shaynee", "chevra kadisha", "davening", "eruv", "eruv tavshilin", "gabbai", "gomel", "hagbahah", "hakafot", "halakhah", "halakhic", "humash", "kabalat shabbat", "kaddish", "kiddush", "kiddushim", "korbanot", "maariv", "mashgiach", "megillah", "minhah", "minyan", "mishnah", "mishnah berurah", "mohel", "musaf", "parnass", "passover", "pidyon haben", "pirkay avot", "purim", "rosh hashanah", "rosh hodesh", "sedrah", "selihot", "semikhah", "shabbat", "shaharit", "shavuot", "shofar", "shul", "simcha", "simhat torah", "seudah shleesheet", "sukkah", "talmud", "tish'ah b'av", "torah", "torahs", "yahrtzeit", "yizkors", "yom kippur", "yom tov" ]; var definitions = [ // The associated definitions. "aliyah: a call up to recite a
blessing over the Torah", "aliyot: plural of aliyah, a call up to
recite a blessing over the Torah", "Ark or Aron Kodesh: the Holy ark in a
synagogue containing the Torah scrolls", "Aron Kodesh: the Holy ark in a synagogue
containing the Torah scrolls", "Aufruf: a groom's aliyah (call to the
Torah) prior to the wedding", "Baal Keri'ah: the Torah reader", "Bet Midrash: study hall", "Bikur Holim: visiting and
extending aid to the sick", "bimah: elevated area or platform in a
synagogue where the \"action\" takes
place, including the leading of the prayer
services and the reading of the Torah", "brit milah: covenantal circumcision", "chazan or hazan: a cantor trained in music
who leads the congregation in prayer", "chazanim or hazanim: plural of chazan, a
cantor who leads the congregation in prayer", "Chazan Shaynee or Hazan Shaynee: Second cantor,
who also sometimes leads the congregation in
prayer and is a back-up for the cantor", "Chevra Kadisha: Jewish burial society", "daven: Yiddish for - to pray", "Eruv: an enclosure around a home or
community enabling the carrying of
objects within that enclosure
on the Sabbath", "Eruv Tavshilin: baked and cooked product
(usually matzah/bread and chicken/fish)
that is specially set up immediately prior
to a festival that starts on either Wednesday
night or Thursday night, and which allows
for baking and cooking on Friday for Shabbat", "Gabbai: a term denoting \"responsible for.\"
In many places, there is a gabbai tsedakah
who is responsible to supervise the receipt
of and giving out the charity funds. In a
synagogue, the gabbai assists the Parnass.", "Gomel: blessing recited by someone to whom was
bestowed (gomel) good fortune; for example,
recovery from a serious illness or accident", "hagbahah and glilah: lifting the Torah (hagbahah)
and rolling and dressing it (gelilah) following
the conclusion of the reading", "Hakafot: a ceremony on Simhat Torah
in which the Torah scrolls are
carried around the synagogue", "halakhah: the collective body
of Jewish religious law", "halakhah: the collective body
of Jewish religious law", "Humash or Chumash: the Five
Books of Moses (Pentateuch)", "Kabalat Shabbat: Friday evening
service ushering in the Sabbath", "Kaddish: Doxology usually recited
by those in mourning period for
a deceased parent, sibling, child,
or spouse, and by one observing
the anniversary of such a death", "kiddush: technically - sanctification, recited on
the eve of a Shabbat or holy day, and in the
morning; but also, as used here, refers to the
meal or refreshments served when reciting
kiddush at the conclusion of services", "kiddushim: plural of kiddush, technically - sanctification,
recited on the eve of a Sabbath or holy day,
and in the morning; but, as used here, also refers
to the meal or refreshments served when reciting
kiddush at the conclusion of services", "Korbanot: text, recited at the
beginning of morning prayers,
describing the offerings made in
the Holy Sanctuary in Jerusalem", "Maariv: evening prayer service", "mashgiach: a person who supervises the
adherence to Jewish dietary laws in a
kosher establishment", "Megillah: a book in scriptures. There
are five,of which one, the Book
of Esther, is read during Purim", "Minhah: afternoon prayer service", "minyan: a quorum of ten male
Jewish adults required to
have a public prayer service ", "Mishnah: the collection of Jewish
oral law from the Tannaitic period,
forming the basis of the Talmud", "Mishnah Berurah: a commentary on
the Code of Jewish law dealing
with daily practice, written by
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan", "mohel: person who performs the
cicumcision at a brit milah", "Musaf: an additional prayer service
following the morning prayer service
on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays", "Parnass: the person charged with giving
out the honours; such as the aliyot", "Passover: Jewish festival that
commemorates the exodus
of the Israelites from Egypt", "Pidyon haBen: redemption of the
firstborn son from priestly obligations", "Pirkay Avot: compilation of the ethical teachings
and maxims of the Rabbis of the 1st and 2nd
centuries and part of the Mishnah (collection
of Jewish oral law)", "Purim: Jewish festival celebrated to
commemorate of the deliverance
of the Jews in Persia from destruction", "Rosh Hashanah: the two-day Jewish New Year
that launches the focus on repentance which
concludes with the holy day of Yom Kippur.", "Rosh Hodesh: a Biblically mandated holy
day celebrating the beginning of each
new month in the Jewish calendar", "sedrah: section of the Torah
chanted or read on the Sabbath", "Selihot: penitentials (poems & prose)
recited in advance of the High Holy Days,
during the ten days of repentance,
and on fast days", "Semikhah: ordination of a rabbi within Judaism", "Shabbat: Sabbath", "Shaharit: morning prayer service", "Shavuot: Jewish festival that
commemorates God's giving of
the Torah to the people of Israel", "Shofar:a horn, traditionally that
of a ram, used for Jewish religious
purposes, mainly on Rosh HaShanah,
to awaken and to inspire", "shul: a synagogue", "simcha or simhah: a festive occasion,
such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah,
wedding, etc. ", "Simhat Torah: Jewish festival that
marks the completion of the annual
cycle of the reading of the Torah", "Seudah Shleesheet: the \"third meal,\"
eaten in the late afternoon on
the Sabbath", "Sukkah: a booth or hut used during
the Jewish festival of Sukkot as
a temporary dining or living area", "Talmud: collection of Jewish writings related to the
practical application of Judaic law and tradition
(refers to either the Babylonian Talmud or
the shorter Jerusalem Talmud)", "Tish'ah B'Av: a major fast day in the Jewish
calendar commemorating the destruction
of the 1st and 2nd Temples in Jerusalem", "Torah: a parchment scroll on which the Five Books
of Moses is written, used in synagogue services", "Torah: a parchment scroll on which the Five Books
of Moses is written, used in synagogue services", "Yahrtzeit: annual anniversary of
the day of death of a relative", "Yizkor: special service for commemorating
the dead, held on major Jewish holy days", "Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement,
a full day fast which is spent
in prayer and introspection", "Yom Tov: a major Jewish
festival or holy day" ]; /***************************************************************************** * * lookupDefinition - Lookup a word and return its definition * *****************************************************************************/ function lookupDefinition ( word) // Word to lookup. { // Local work variables. var i; // Find the word in one array and return the associated definition from the // other. If ther word cannot be found, return NULL. for (i = 0; i < definedWords.length; i++) if (word.toLowerCase() == definedWords[i]) return definitions[i]; return null; }