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Zealots

From the Ency. Judaica 16:947 The name, recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus, by which some Jewish resistance fighters were known in the Jewish War, 66-73 C.E. This name is important in view of it’s portable origin.Meaning of the Name. Josephus provides a clue to it’s real meaning both by his apparent reluctance to use […]

The Goal Of Time

When a Jew Celebrates by Harry Gersh Pages 9-11 According to the Jewish idea, time has a goal, a reason. Time exists so we can grow better, and in growing better, make the world better. Time will reach it’s goal when everyone in the world is absolutely good, when every person will do only that […]

Tithe

The rendering of the tithes of property for sacral purposes was common all over the ancient near east, though well documented and first hand evidence concerning tithes comes mainly from Mesopotamia. Although these Mesoptoamin documents come from the neo-Babylonian period (sixth century B.C.E.) there is no doubt that the institution as such is much older. […]

Proselytes (law of conversion)

From The Encylopaedia Judacia 13:1183-1184 The procedure, established by the tannaim, according to which a non-Jew may be into the Jewish faith, was elucided as follows: “in our days, when a proselyte came to be converted we say to him: ‘What is your objective? Is it not known to you that the people of Israel […]

Proselytes

The Encyclopaedia Judaica 13:1182 contains a fascinating analysis that provides extensive evidence of an increasingly common trend towards the conversion to Judaism during the Second Temple period. This period, especially in its later stages, witnessed a marked rise in the use of the term “ger”, previously reserved for referring to strangers or aliens, to denote […]

Kidron

From the Encyclopaedia Judaica 10:988 The first biblical reference to the “brook” Kidron occurs in connection with Davids ABsalm (II Sam. 15:23) In the time of divided monarchy, the reforming Kings of Judah, Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah, cast away and burnt the various idols which defiled Jerusalem there (I Kings 15:13 ; II Kings 23:4, […]

Ru’ah ha-Kodesh (name for God)

From the Encyclopaedia Judaica 14:365 רוח הקודש A more problematical use of the term Ru’ah ha-Kodesh is when in some way hypothesized, or used as a synonym for God. This tendency toward hypostatization is already apparent in such expressions as “Ru’ah ha-Kodesh resting” on a person or place, or someone “receiving Ru’ah ha-Kodesh”. But it […]

Ru’ah Ha-Kodesh

רוח הקודש lit. “the Holy Spirit” Although the phrase Ru’ah ha-Kodesh occurs in the Bible (cf. Ps 51:13 ; Isa 63:10), it’s specific connotation as divine inspiration is wholly post-biblical.In rabbinic thought it is the spirit of prophecy which comes from G-d, a divine inspiration giving man an insight into the future and will of […]

ger toshav

גר תושב Lit. ” proselyte settler” i.e., a Gentile who renounces idolatry to become a settler in Palestine. ger: “foreigner” or “alien” + toshav: “resident”,”resident alien” is a halakhic term used in Judaism to designate the legal status of a Gentile (non-Jew) living in the Land of Israel who does not want to convert to […]

Exegesis

To explain, interpret, fr. ex-the geisthai to lead – more at SEEK an explanation or critical inter operation of a text.

Casuistry

A method or doctrine dealing with cases of conscience and the resolution of questions of right or wrong in conduct.

Dialectic

a: discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation. b: the Platonic investigation of eternal ideals

“Heaven” (name for God)

In Christian Gospels this usage is especially common in the Judaeo-Christian Gospel of Matthew, where e.g. “the Kingdom of Heaven” corresponds to the “Kingdom of God”

Baalim

(From Easton’s Bible Dictionary) plural of Baal; images of the god Baal (Judges 2:11; 1 Samuel 7:4). Baal (/ˈbeɪ.əl, ˈbɑː.əl/),or Baʻal,was a title and honorific meaning ‘owner’ or ‘lord’ in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. Scholars previously […]

Esoteric

adjective 1a. designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone < a body of ~ legal doctrine b. of or relating to a small group 2a. limited to a small circle <~pursuits> b. Private, Confidental ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Greek es?terikos, from es?ter?, comparative of es? ‘within,’ from es, eis ‘into.’ Compare with […]

El Shaddai

The Almighty God (EL= Almightyness, Shaddai = Exhautless Bounty) Found in Genesis 43:14 El Shaddai (Hebrew: אֵל שַׁדַּי, romanized: ʾĒl Šaddāy; IPA: [el ʃadːaj]) or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty (Deus Omnipotens in Latin, Arabic: الله عزوجل, romanized: ʾAllāh ʿazzawajal), but […]