HamanHaman (הָמָן ; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II. As his epithet Agagite indicates, Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Some commentators interpret this descent to be symbolic, due to his similar personality.
Ta'anitA ta'anit or ta'anis (Mishnaic Hebrew: תענית) is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water. A Jewish fast may have one or more purposes, including: Atonement for sins: Fasting is not considered the primary means of acquiring atonement; rather, sincere regret for and rectification of wrongdoing is key. Nevertheless, fasting is conducive to atonement, for it tends to precipitate contrition. Therefore, the Bible requires fasting on Yom Kippur.
KetuvimThe Ketuvim (kətuːˈviːm,_kəˈtuːvɪm; , Modern: Ktuvim, Tiberian: Kăṯūḇīm "writings") is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah ("instruction") and Nevi'im ("prophets"). In English translations of the Hebrew Bible, this section is usually titled "Writings" or "Hagiographa". In the Ketuvim, I and II Chronicles form one book, along with Ezra and Nehemiah which form a single unit entitled "Ezra–Nehemiah".
Birkat HamazonBirkat Hamazon (בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוׂן "The Blessing of the Food"), known in English as the Grace After Meals (בענטשן "to bless", Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish law prescribes following a meal that includes at least a kezayit (olive-sized) piece of bread. It is understood as a mitzvah (Biblical commandment) based on Deuteronomy 8:10.
MinyanIn Judaism, a minyan (מניין \ מִנְיָן mīnyān minˈjan, lit. (noun) count, number; pl. mīnyānīm minjaˈnim) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Judaism, only men 13 and older may constitute a minyan; in more liberal (non-Orthodox) streams women are also counted. The minimum of 10 Jews needed for a meeting has its origin in Abraham's prayer to God in Genesis 18:20. In that prayer, Abraham asks the Almighty not to destroy Sodom if there are 50 believers and keeps asking Him until 10.
Jewish diasporaThe Jewish diaspora (təfūṣā) or exile (Hebrew: גָּלוּת gālūṯ; Yiddish: golus) is the biblical dispersion of Israelites or Jews out of their ancient ancestral homeland (the Land of Israel) and their subsequent settlement in other parts of the globe. In terms of the Hebrew Bible, the term "Exile" denotes the fate of the Israelites who were taken into exile from the Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BCE, and the Judahites from the Kingdom of Judah who were taken into exile during the 6th century BCE.
AmalekAmalek (ˈæməlɛk; עֲמָלֵק, , عماليق ) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek, which they inhabited. In some rabbinical interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as , 'a people who lick (blood)', but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown. According to the Bible, Amalek was the son of Eliphaz (himself the son of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites) and Eliphaz's concubine Timna.
Seudat mitzvahA seudat mitzvah (סעודת מצוה, "commanded meal"), in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah (commandment), such as a bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah (ritual circumcision), or a siyum (completing a tractate of Talmud or Mishnah). Seudot fixed in the calendar (i.e., for holidays and fasts) are also considered seudot mitzvah, but many have their own, more commonly used names.
IyarIyar (אִייָר or אִיָּר, Standard ʾĪyyar Tiberian ʾĪyyār; from 𒌗𒄞 itiayari "rosette; blossom") is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the second month of the Jewish religious year (which starts on 1 Nisan) on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin. It is a month of 29 days. Iyar usually falls in April–May on the Gregorian calendar. In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian captivity, the month was called Ziv (, ). Ziv is a Hebrew word that means "light" or "glow".
Hebrew cantillationHebrew cantillation, trope, trop, or te'amim is the manner of chanting ritual readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic Text of the Bible, to complement the letters and vowel points. These marks are known in English as 'accents' (diacritics), 'notes' or trope symbols, and in Hebrew as (טעמי המקרא) or just (טעמים). Some of these signs were also sometimes used in medieval manuscripts of the Mishnah.
