The Jerusalem Bridge

Biblical Hebrew words for worship and the Temple

Offerings, the sanctuary, mourning and the word said at the end of every blessing, read in the original Hebrew.

  1. piggul(pigul)פִּגּוּל

    sacrificial meat gone foul

    וְאִם הֵאָכֹל יֵאָכֵל בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי פִּגּוּל הוּא לֹא יֵרָצֶה׃

    “And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is piggul; it will not be accepted. (Leviticus 19:7)”

  2. mazlegמַזְלֵג

    three-pronged meat fork

    וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן כְּבַשֵּׁל הַבָּשָׂר וְהַמַּזְלֵג שְׁלֹשׁ־הַשִּׁנַּיִם בְּיָדוֹ

    “The priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with the three-toothed fork in his hand. (1 Samuel 2:13)”

  3. mispedמִסְפֵּד

    wailing, loud public lamentation

    וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־שָׁם מִסְפֵּד גָּדוֹל וְכָבֵד מְאֹד וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃

    “And they wailed there a great and very heavy wailing, and he made seven days of mourning for his father. (Genesis 50:10)”

  4. amenאָמֵן

    truly, so be it — a binding 'yes, I accept the terms'

    וְעָנָה כָל־הָעָם וְאָמַר אָמֵן

    “And all the people shall answer and say: Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:15)”

  5. isheh(ishsheh)אִשֶּׁה

    a fire-offering; the portion of a sacrifice burned on the altar

    וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַכֹּל הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עֹלָה אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ־נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה׃

    “And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, a burnt offering, a fire-offering of pleasing aroma to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:9)”

  6. sukkah(sukka)סֻכָּה

    a hut, a makeshift shelter of branches

    בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כָּל־הָאֶזְרָח בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשְׁבוּ בַּסֻּכֹּת

    “You shall dwell in sukkot seven days; every native-born Israelite shall dwell in sukkot" — Leviticus 23:42”

  7. devir(debir)דְּבִיר

    inner sanctuary, the innermost room of the Temple

    וּדְבִיר בְּתוֹךְ־הַבַּיִת מִפְּנִימָה הֵכִין לְתִתֵּן שָׁם אֶת־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָה׃

    “And the devir he prepared inside the house, in the innermost part, to place there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. (1 Kings 6:19)”

  8. nichoach(nihoah)נִיחֹחַ

    soothing aroma (of a sacrifice)

    וַיָּרַח יְהוָה אֶת־רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ

    “And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma. (Genesis 8:21)”

  9. tenufah(tenufa)תְּנוּפָה

    wave offering; a waving, brandishing motion

    וְשַׂמְתָּ הַכֹּל עַל כַּפֵּי אַהֲרֹן וְעַל כַּפֵּי בָנָיו וְהֵנַפְתָּ אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה׃

    “You shall place it all on Aaron's palms and on his sons' palms, and wave them as a tenufah before the LORD. (Exodus 29:24)”

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Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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