One man's thoughts about Life, Torah, and Messiah

This page is dedicated to those who are new to the Messianic movement, or are just stopping by to see my blog. If there are words that I’m missing, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Following is a list of words that you will see from time to time on my blog.

HaShem~ literally means “The Name” in Hebrew. I use this as a circumlocution for the sacred name of God, YHVH.

Tzitzit~ The fringes that are commonly seen worn by orthodox Jewish men, commanded by HaShem in Numbers 15:37-41.

Halacha~ Literally means “walk.” This is an expression that is used to mean practical application of the Torah. Also can be used to refer to traditional applications of the text, or even an extra-biblical tradition. (see Exodus 18:20)

Hassidic~ or Chassidic. According to Dictionary.com, a Chassid is “a member of a sect founded in Poland in the 18th century by Baal Shem-Tov and characterized by its emphasis on mysticism, prayer, ritual strictness, religious zeal, and joy.”

Karaite~ One belonging to a rebel sect within Judaism that completely rejects all traditional applications/interpretations of the Torah, replacing them with their own personal application. Many Karaites are known for their making the Torah mean whatever they want. For example, some Karaites believe that the Torah only forbids homosexual relationships between two men, because it doesn’t specifically address the issue of female homosexuality.

Parasha~ The weekly Torah portion that is read in synagogues around the world. The Torah is broken up into 54 weekly readings.