Seforim Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms that come up when buying and selling seforim and Judaica. Each entry lists the alternate spellings it is commonly searched under, because Hebrew has no single accepted transliteration and the same sefer is written several different ways.
28 terms, grouped from general to specific.
The basics
What the words mean, what the sets are called, and the publisher names people search for instead of a title.
- Seferספר
- A sefer is a Jewish religious book — a work of Torah, Talmud, halacha, or related sacred literature, as distinct from an ordinary secular book.
- Seforimספרים
- Seforim are Jewish religious books — the plural of sefer — covering Torah, Talmud, halacha, mussar, chassidus, and the full range of sacred Jewish literature.
- Sifrei Kodeshספרי קודש
- Sifrei kodesh means 'holy books' — the formal term for the body of sacred Jewish literature, used when distinguishing religious works from secular ones.
- Shasש"ס
- Shas is the complete Talmud — an acronym for Shisha Sidrei Mishnah, the six orders of the Mishnah — usually sold as a multi-volume bound set.
- Mesechtaמסכת
- A mesechta is a single tractate of the Talmud — one topical volume such as Berachos or Bava Metzia — which can be bought individually rather than as part of a full Shas.
- Daf Yomiדף יומי
- Daf Yomi is a worldwide programme in which participants study one double-sided page of Talmud each day, completing the entire Talmud in roughly seven and a half years.
- Tanachתנ"ך
- Tanach is the complete Hebrew Bible, an acronym formed from its three parts: Torah (the Five Books), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kesuvim (Writings).
- ArtScroll
- ArtScroll is an imprint of Mesorah Publications known for English-language editions of Jewish texts, including the Schottenstein Talmud and the Stone Chumash.
- Feldheim
- Feldheim Publishers is a long-established publisher of English-language and Hebrew Jewish books, covering classic works, halacha, mussar, and general Jewish literature.
The texts
The primary works themselves, and how editions of each one differ in ways that matter when buying.
- Gemaraגמרא
- The Gemara is the component of the Talmud that records the rabbinic analysis and debate of the Mishnah; Mishnah and Gemara together make up the Talmud.
- Mishnahמשנה
- The Mishnah is the earliest written compilation of the Jewish Oral Law, redacted by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE and organised into six orders.
- Chumashחומש
- A Chumash is a printed volume of the Five Books of Moses, named from the Hebrew word for five, usually including commentary and the haftaros read on Shabbos and festivals.
- Nachנ"ך
- Nach refers to the Prophets and Writings — the two sections of the Hebrew Bible that follow the Torah, comprising Tanach minus the Five Books of Moses.
- Midrashמדרש
- Midrash is the body of rabbinic literature that expounds the biblical text, drawing out legal and homiletical meaning beyond the plain reading.
- Parshaפרשה
- The parsha is the weekly Torah portion, one of fifty-four sections read in sequence over the course of the annual Torah reading cycle.
- Meforshimמפרשים
- Meforshim are the classical commentaries on Jewish texts and the commentators behind them — individual authors such as Rashi, Ramban, and Ibn Ezra, and collective works such as Tosafos.
Subjects and categories
Law, thought, liturgy, and ritual objects — the areas the marketplace is organised around.
- Halachaהלכה
- Halacha is Jewish law — the body of rulings and practice governing daily conduct, derived from the Torah and developed through the Talmud and later codes.
- Shulchan Aruchשולחן ערוך
- The Shulchan Aruch is the authoritative code of Jewish law compiled by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the sixteenth century, organised into four sections covering prayer and the festivals, kashrus and other ritual law, marriage and divorce, and civil law.
- Mussarמוסר
- Mussar is the Jewish literature of ethical and character development, aimed at refining traits such as humility, honesty, and self-discipline through sustained study.
- Chassidusחסידות
- Chassidus is the body of thought and literature produced by the Chassidic movement, emphasising inner service, joy, and the mystical dimension of Torah.
- Kabbalahקבלה
- Kabbalah is the Jewish mystical tradition, centred on the Zohar and the later Lurianic writings, concerned with the inner structure of creation and the meaning behind the commandments.
- Machshavaמחשבה
- Machshava is Jewish thought — the literature dealing with belief, providence, free will, and the reasons behind the commandments, as distinct from law or ethics.
- Siddurסידור
- A siddur is a Jewish prayer book containing the daily and Shabbos liturgy, arranged in the order the prayers are recited.
- Machzorמחזור
- A machzor is a festival prayer book, containing the liturgy for a specific holiday — most commonly Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, or the three pilgrimage festivals.
- Haggadahהגדה
- The Haggadah is the text recited at the Pesach seder, setting out the order of the evening and the retelling of the Exodus from Egypt.
- Shabbos and Yom Tovשבת ויום טוב
- Shabbos and Yom Tov seforim cover the laws, customs, and thought surrounding the Sabbath and the Jewish festivals, from practical halacha to holiday-specific commentary.
- Judaica
- Judaica refers to Jewish ritual and ceremonial objects — items such as menorahs, kiddush cups, mezuzah cases, and Torah ornaments — as distinct from printed seforim.
- Manuscripts and Antique Seforim
- Antique seforim and manuscripts are early printed or handwritten Jewish works valued for their age, rarity, and provenance rather than for everyday study use.