PurimPurim (ˈpʊərɪm; פּוּרִים , lots; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther (usually dated to the 5th century BCE). Haman was the royal vizier to the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I or Artaxerxes I; Khshayarsha and Artakhsher in Old Persian, respectively).
MinchaMincha (מִנחַה, pronounced as minˈχa; sometimes spelled Minchah or Minḥa) is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. The name Mincha, meaning "present", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice offered in the Temple (Beit HaMikdash). The Hebrew noun minḥah () is used 211 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, with the first uses referring to vegetable and animal offerings brought by Cain and Abel to God. Most other uses refer to a gift offering, made of grain, which could be offered at any time in the day.
Third TempleThe "Third Temple" (, Bēṯ hamMīqdāš hašŠlīšī, ) refers to a hypothetical rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. It would succeed Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple, the former having been destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE and the latter having been destroyed during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Although it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for the Third Temple is sacred in Judaism, and particularly in Orthodox Judaism; it is anticipated as the most sacred place of worship for Jews.
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.
Yom KippurYom Kippur (ˌjɒm_kɪˈpʊər,_ˌjɔːm_ˈkɪpər,_ˌjoʊm-; יוֹם כִּפּוּר, Yōm Kippūr, ˈjom kiˈpuʁ, Day of Atonement) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a secular date in September or early October. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's main observances consist of full fasting and ascetic behavior accompanied by long prayer services in synagogue, as well as sin confessions. Yom Kippur is the only day when fasting is permitted on Shabbat.
Western WallThe Western Wall (HaKotel HaMa'aravi, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط ٱلْبُرَاق, Ḥā'iṭ al-Burāq 'ħaːʔɪtʕ albʊ'raːq), is a portion of ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem that forms part of the larger retaining wall of the hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount. Just over half the wall's total height, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, and is believed to have been begun by Herod the Great.
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.
ShekhinahShechinah, (Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה Šḥīnā, is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a place. This concept is found in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible mentions several places where the presence of God was felt and experienced as a Shekhinah, including the burning bush and the cloud that rested on Mount Sinai. The Shekhinah was often pictured as a cloud or as a pillar of fire and was referred to as the glory of God.
Rosh ChodeshIn Judaism, Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh (ראש חודש; trans. Beginning of the Month; lit. Head of the Month) is a minor holiday observed at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. Rosh Chodesh is observed for either one or two days, depending on whether the previous month contained 29 or 30 days. The Book of Exodus establishes the new moon of Nisan, which is the first month of Aviv, as the beginning of the Hebrew calendar: And the spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: "This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
Temple in JerusalemThe Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; بيت المقدس, Bayt al-Maqdis), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to the Hebrew Bible, the First Temple was built in the 10th century BCE, during the reign of Solomon over the United Kingdom of Israel. It stood until 587 BCE, when it was destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.