Hebrew
/Aramaic
Greek
/Latin Written in EnglishRamban Nachmanides; Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman. A.D. 1194-1270. Ramban was the foremost
halakhist of his age. Like Rambam before him, Ramban was a Spaniard who was both a
physician and a great Torah scholar. However, unlike the rationalist Rambam, Ramban
had a strong mystical bent. His biblical commentaries are the first ones to incorporate
the mystical teachings of kabbalah. He was well-known for his aggressive refutations of
Christianity, most notably, his debate with Pablo Christiani, a converted Jew, before King
Jaime I of Spain in 1263. Ramban could be described as one of history's first Zionists,
because he declared that it is a mitzvah to take possession of Israel and to live in it
(relying on Num 33:53). He said, "So long as Israel occupies [the Holy Land], the earth is
regarded as subject to Him‖. Ramban fulfilled this commandment, moving to the Holy
Land during the Crusades after he was expelled from Spain for his polemics. He found
devastation in the Holy Land, "but even in this destruction‖, he said, "it is a blessed land‖.
He died there in A.D. 1270. Do not confuse Ramban with Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.
Rashi Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki. A.D. 1040-1105. A grape grower living in Northern France,
Rashi wrote the definitive commentaries on the Babylonian Talmud and the Bible. Rashi
pulled together materials from a wide variety of sources, wrote them down in the order of
the Talmud and the Bible for easy reference; and wrote them in such clear, concise and
plain language that it can be appreciated by beginners and experts alike. Almost every
edition of the Talmud printed since the invention of the printing press has included the
text of Rashi's commentary side-by-side with the Talmudic text.
Rav Great man or teacher.
Rosh
HaShanah
Feast of Trumpets, ―the head of the year‖. YHWH calls this day "a day of blowing
trumpets‖. The feast originally had no name and was simply called "Yom T‘ruah‖, 'the
Day of Blowing‘. Also known as ̳Feast of Clamour‘, or ̳Feast of Acclamation‘.Rosh
Hodesh
New moon.Ruach
HaKodesh
Holy Spirit. The Ruach haKodesh, Bat-kol and the Shekinah are all feminine in the
Hebrew.Sandek The person who holds the baby on their knees during the actual circumcision.
Sane Different Bible versions struggle with the phrase "hated" and some adopt "unloved" or
"disliked" as softer phrases. However, the Hebrew word used in the second phrase is
―sane‖, which in its more than 140 uses is always translated by 'hate' or by words
indicating 'foe' or 'enemy'. In Aramaic, ―sanah‖ can mean 'to hate' and 'to separate‘.
Sanhedrin A body of 71 leaders. YHWH established the first one under Moses and the body was
active in Y‘shua‘s time. It was discontinued before the Fourth Century. During the 6th
century, Joseph Caro and Jacob Berab unsuccessfully attempted to revive ordination in
Palestine and create a new Sanhedrin. The term 'Sanhedrin' also refers to the fourth
Tractate in the Mishnah order of Nezikin. It deals with courts of justice and judicial
procedure; it also contains a list of Sins which exclude a person from entering into the
afterlife.
Semeíon Sign. A ―sign‖ is a miracle that has special significance that points us to Y‘shua.
Shabbat Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of rest from Labour.
Shalom
Zakhor
Also known as Ben Zakhor: A celebration in the home on the first Friday night after a boy
is born, to welcome the newborn.Sha‘atnez The prohibition of wearing clothing made of any combination of linen and wool.
Shabuwa The word ̳week‘ is shabuwa in Hebrew and hebdomas in Greek, which means a period
of ̳7 years‘ in Jewish language – in the same sense when we say decade for 10 years in
English.
Shah-are Word for gate and means, ―to cleave, divide...an aperture, and then a gate‖.
Shaliach Announcer. From this position we get the term apostle, meaning one who is sent forth to
announce the Gospel – a role equivalent to that of our modern missionaries.
Shatz Other terms found in the sources are sheliah tzibbur (―messenger of the congregation‖),
abbreviated to shatz (hence the Jewish surname Schatz) and hazan (originally meaning
―overseer‖), the name most frequently used.
Shaul Paul. We know him as Saul before Yeshua changed his name to Paul. Sha‘ul in Hebrew
means ̳to demand‘, and the name Paul in Greek means ̳little‘.
Shav The root of the Hebrew word for repentance.