Glossary of Terms

BRIT ברית Covenant, a holy contract
TORAH תורה Jewish learning, the 5 books of Moses, instruction…
AVODAH עבודה work, prayer, worship, job
GEMILUT CHASADIM גמילות חסדים  acts of loving kindness, good deeds, compassionate deeds

TIKKUN OLAM עולם תקון repairing the world, fixing it
TZEDEK צדק righteousness or justice
TZEDAKAH צדקה acts of righteousness
ALIYAH עליה a going up, going up to the Torah to recite the blessings or to read from the Torah; going up to Israel. Additionally, we divide the Torah portion into aliyot, or sections of the reading.

MITZVAH מצוה commandment, responsibility
BAR/BAT MITZVAH בת מצוה–בר מצוה a Bar Mitzvah literally means “a son of the commandment”, while a Bat Mitzvah is “a daughter of the commandment.” While some think that a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is now an adult, this is only true with respect to the fact that these young adults are now held responsible and accountable for fulfilling the mitzvot. One becomes a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. One doesn’t “get Bar/Bat Mitzvahed”. Bar/Bat Mitzvah also refers of course, to the ceremony when the young adult is called to the Torah for the first time as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.