Kedushah (prayer)Kedushah (Holiness) is the name of several prayers recited during Jewish prayer services. They have in common the recitation of two Biblical verses - and . These verses come from prophetic visions in which angels sing the verses, "Holy, Holy, Holy" as praises to God. There exist several variations of the Kedushah, which appear in different contexts and have different laws. The best-known Kedushah is recited in the Amidah. Another is recited in the Yotzer ohr blessing, and a third (known as Kedushah d'sidra) is recited on various occasions including the conclusion of weekday Shacharit.
Torah arkA Torah ark (also known as the hekhal, היכל, or aron qodesh, אָרוֹן קׄדֶש) refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. Tabernacle The ark, also known as the ark of law, or in Hebrew the Aron Kodesh (אָרוֹן קׄדֶש) or aron ha-Kodesh ('holy ark') by Ashkenazi communities and as the Hekhal ('sanctuary') among Sefardi communities. The name Aron Kodesh is a reference to the Ark of the Covenant, which was stored in the Holy of Holies in the inner sanctuaries of both the ancient Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.
HavdalahHavdalah (הַבְדָּלָה, "separation") is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special havdalah candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky. Havdalah may be performed as late as sunset of the Tuesday following Shabbat. Like kiddush, havdalah is recited over a cup of kosher wine or grape juice, although other beverages may be used if wine or grape juice are not available.
MattathiasMattathias ben Johanan (מַתִּתְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן יוֹחָנָן, Mattīṯyāhū haKōhēn ben Yōḥānān; died 166–165 BCE) was a Kohen (Jewish priest) who helped spark the Maccabean Revolt against the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. Mattathias's story is related in the deuterocanonical book of 1 Maccabees. Mattathias is accorded a central role in the story of Hanukkah and, as a result, is named in the Al HaNissim prayer Jews add to the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) and the Amidah during the festival's eight days.
YavneYavne (יַבְנֶה) or Yavneh is a city in the Central District of Israel. In many English translations of the Bible, it is known as Jabneh ˈdʒæbnə. Yavne holds a special place in Jewish history because of its contribution to Judaism's recovery and reconstitution under sages ben Zakkai and Gamaliel II following the destruction of the Second Temple. This period, sometimes known as the "Yavne period", became a crucial mark in the development of Rabbinic Judaism.
TakkanahA takkanah (תקנה, plural takkanot) is a major legislative enactment within halakha (Jewish law), the normative system of Judaism's laws. A takkanah is an enactment which revises an ordinance that no longer satisfies the requirements of the times or circumstances, or which, being deduced from a biblical passage, may be regarded as new. It is, therefore, the antithesis of the gezerah. The term is applied also to the institution provided for in the enactment.
