“KABBALAH OF PRAYER” GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Note: Both the H and KH are pronounced as a guttural ch. N.B. Under the bolded section” When the H is pronounced as an English H the letters appears in bold. When the letter is pronounced as a guttural ch, the letter is not bolded.
KEY: TERM is shown in a bolded text. PRONUNCIATION is italicized. KABBALAH MEANING is shown in regular text.
The glossary below is divided into shorter sections (A-B, G-D, etc). At the beginning of each section, Shulamit pronounces each term. To listen, please click on the lefthand arrow of the black sound bar.
Adam Kadmon ~ Ah-dahm Kahd-mone ~ Primordial Man
Ahlama ~ Ah-la-mah ~ Beautiful Gem (Amethyst)
Aleph ~ Al-ef ~ A (Letter of the Alphabet)
Anohi ~ Aw-no-hee ~ I
Bet ~ Bait ~ B (Alphabet)
Bahir ~ Bah-here ~ Illumination
Bara Shith ~ Bah-rah Sheet ~ He created six
Beinoni ~ Bay-no-knee ~ In-between
Bereshit ~ Bray-sheet ~ In the beginning
Binah ~ Bee-naw ~ Understanding
Dai ~ Die ~ Enough
Dvekut ~ Dve-kute ~ Devotion, Adhering
Derekh Hashem ~ De-rekh Ha-shem ~ Path of God
Daat ~ Dah-aht ~ Knowing, Gnosis
Din ~ Din ~ Judgement
Ein Sof ~ Ain-soph ~ The Endless One
Elohim ~ E-lo-kim ~ (when not praying) God name
El Shaddai ~ Elle-Sha-die ~ God Name
Emet ~ Eh-met ~ Truth
Etz Haim ~ Etz-Ha-yim ~ Tree of Life
Gedullah ~ Gedoo-lah ~ Greatness
Gematria ~ Gee-ma-tria ~ Numerology
Gevurah ~ Gevoo-rah ~ Strength, Might
Gilgul Nesahmot ~ Gill-ghoul Ne-sha-mote ~ Reincarnation
Haim ~ Ha-yim ~ Life
Hakbalah ~ Hak-bah-lah ~ Parallels
Halom ~ Ha-lome ~ Dream
Hashem ~ Hah-Shem ~ “The Name” , Word for God
Hashmal ~ Hash-mal ~ speech/silence, rapidity/pause
Hayah ~ Hah-yah ~ Soul Essence
Hayot ~ Hah-yote ~ Angels (Vision of Ezekiel)
Hesed ~ He-sed ~ Grace
Het ~ Het ~ Error, Sin
Hay ~ Hay (H) ~ H (Letter of Alphabet)
Hirik ~ Hee-rik ~ One of the Vowel Points
Hoah ~ Ho-ah – Strength
Hod ~ Hoed ~ Splendor
Hoddah ~ Ho-dah ~ Acknowledgement
Hokhmah ~ Hokh-mah ~ Wisdom
Holam ~ Ho-lam ~ One of the Vowel Points
Holayim ~ Ho-lah-yim ~ Diseases
Holim ~ Ho-lim ~ People with illness
Ibbur ~ E-boor ~ Impregnation
Ilat haIlot e-lat ha-e-lote Cause of Causes
Kabbalah ~ Kah-bah-lah ~ Received, Receiving
Kamatz ~ Kah-matz ~ One of the Vowel Points
Kelipot ~ Kli-pote ~ Shells, Powers of evil
Kesher ~ Keh-sher ~ Tie
Kavannah ~ Kah-vah-nah ~ Intention
Keret ~ Ke-ret ~ Cut off
Keter ~ Ke-ter ~ Crown
Kitur ~ Kee-tour ~ Surround
Koah mah ~ Koah mah ~ Power of what
Kubutz ~ Koo-boots ~ One of the Vowel Sounds
Kivun ~ Key-voon ~ Direction
Kol ~ Kol ~ Voice, Sound
Kol Dmamah ~ Kol Dmah-mah ~ Sound of silence
Lamed ~ Lah-med ~ L (letter of Alphabet)
Lev ~ Lev ~ Heart
Likkutei Amarim- Tanya ~ Lee-koo-tay Ah-ma-rim ~Tan-ya ~ A Gathering of Teachings
Maggid ~ Mah-geed ~ “One who tells,” Answering Angel
Maggidim ~ Mah-gee-dim ~ Plural of maggid
Malakh ~ Mal-akh ~ Angel
Malakhim ~ Mal-ah-kheem ~ Angels
Malkhut ~ Mal-khoot ~ Kingdom
Mazal ~ Mah-zal ~ Luck,Destiny
Mem ~ Mem ~ M, Letter of the Alphabet
Merkavah ~ Mer-ka-vah ~ Chariot
Midot ~ Me-dote ~ Attributes
Nafash ~ Nah-fash ~ Rested
Nekud ~ Nee-kud ~ Vowel point, System of vowel point
Nekudot (Nekudim) ~ Ne-ku-dote ~ Vowel points
Nefesh ~ Ne-fesh ~ Vital animal soul
Neshamah ~ Nshah-mah ~ Higher soul
Netzah ~ Ne-tzah ~ Eternity,Victory
Nishmat Haim ~ Nish-mat Ha-yim ~ Breath of Life
Olam haAssiyah ~ O-lam ha-Ah-si-yah ~ The World of the Concrete
Olam haAtzilut ~ Olam ha-Ah-tzi-lute ~ The World of Emanation
Olam haBeriah ~ Olam hab-ree-ah ~ The World of Creation
Olam haYetzirah ~ Oh-Lam Hay-tzi-rah ~ The World of Formation
Ophanim ~ Oh-fah-nim ~ Wheels, Angels
Patah ~ Pah-tah ~ Vowel sound
Pituhey ~ Pi-tu-hey ~ Openings
Reishit ~ Ray-sheet ~ Beginning
Ruah ~ Ru-ah ~ Spirit, Wind, Breath
Ruah Hakodesh ~ Ru-ah Ha-ko-desh ~ Spirit of God (Holiness)
Sefer Yetzirah ~ Se-fer Yetzi-rah ~ Book of Formation
Sefirah ~ Sfee-rah ~ Emanation of the Tree of Life
Sefirot ~ Sfee-rot ~ Plural of sefirah
Segol ~ Se-gol ~ One of the Vowel sounds
Segullah ~ Sgu-lah ~ Treasury
Sefer ~ Se-fer ~ Book
Sehel ~ Se-khel ~ Intelligence
Seraf ~ Sa-raph ~ Angel
Serafim ~ Sra-phim ~ Plural of seraf
Sha’ar ha-Nikud ~ Sha-ar ha-nee-kud ~ The Gate of the (Vowel) Points
Sha’are Orah ~ Sha-ar O-rah ~ Gates of Light
Shaddai ~ Sha-die ~ My breasts
Shefa ~ She-fah ~ Divine Influx
Shehinah ~ Shkhi-nah ~ Indwelling female aspect of God
Shevirah ~ Shvi-rah ~ Shattering of the vessels
Shmot ~ Shmot ~ Book of Exodus
Shir Hashirim ~ Sheer Ha-shee-rim ~ Song of Songs
Shofar ~ Sho-far ~ Rams Horn
Shuruk ~ Shu-rook ~ One of the Vowel Sounds
Shva ~ Shva ~ One of the Vowel Sounds
Siddur ~ Si-ddur ~ Jewish Prayer Book
Sippur ~ Si-ppur ~ Story
Talmud ~ Tal-mud ~ Commentaries on Torah, the Mishnah and Gemara
Tanakh ~ Ta-nakh ~ Holy Scripture, The Five Books of Moses, The Prophets and the Writings
Tav ~ Tav ~ T, Letter of the Alphabet
Tiferet ~ Teef-eh-ret ~ Beauty, Glory
Tikkun Olam ~ Ti-koon Oh-lam ~ Repair of the World
Tikkuney Zohar ~ Tik-koo-ney Zo-har ~ Amendments to the Zohar
Torah ~ To-rah ~ Five Books of Moses
Tzaddik ~ tza-ddik ~ Righteous person
Tzerey ~ Tze-rey ~ One of the Vowel Points
Tzimzum ~ Tzim-tzoom ~ Contraction
Tzinnor ~ Tzi-nor ~ Channel
Tzinnorot ~ Tzi-no-rot ~ Channels
Vav ~ Vawv ~ Hook/Letter of the Alphabet
Yadah ~ Yah-dah ~ Knew
Yehidah ~ Yehee-dah ~ Oneness
Yeshivah ~ Yeshee-vah ~ School of Hebrew study
Yesod ~ Yesod ~ Foundation/ The All
Yetzer ~ Ye-tzer ~ To make, A force, Impulse
Yetzer haRah ~ Ye-tzer Ha-rah ~ Force of evil
Yetzer haTov ~ Ye-tzer Ha-tov ~ Force of Good
Y-H-V-H ~ Unpronounceable ~ Four letters of the Holy name of God
Yud ~ Yood ~ Letter of the Alphabet/Symbol for the name of God
Zohar ~ Zo-har ~ Splendor