The Hebrew of the Mishnah, the Talmuds, and the medieval rabbis: the scholarly language of Judaism for two thousand years.
Tagged: Jewish
After the biblical period, Hebrew did not die: the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud made it a precise instrument of law and argument, and medieval sages wrote philosophy and poetry in it. Rabbinic Hebrew is the bridge between the Bible and the revived spoken Hebrew of today.
Key Texts
Prayers & Creeds in Its Traditions
- Amidah Jewish — The standing prayer at the center of every Jewish prayer service, recited silently while standing.
- Birkat HaMazon Jewish — The Grace After Meals, a set of blessings of thanksgiving recited after eating a meal with bread.
- Kaddish Jewish — An Aramaic prayer sanctifying God's name, best known in its form recited by mourners.
- Shema Jewish — Judaism's central affirmation of the one God, drawn from Deuteronomy 6:4 and recited morning and evening.
Glossary Terms from Rabbinic Hebrew
- shekinah (שְׁכִינָה) — Dwelling; settling.
Learning and Reference Resources
- Sefaria — rabbinic library Free / open access
Related Across the Site
- Biblical Aramaic Language — The Aramaic of Daniel and Ezra, distinct from the later Syriac dialect, and the language of the Targums.
- Biblical Hebrew Language — The original language of the Hebrew Bible, preserved in the square script with Tiberian vocalization, and still the language of Jewish prayer.
- St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology Library — An open-access, multi-author theological reference with advanced articles on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
- Amidah Prayer or Creed — The standing prayer at the center of every Jewish prayer service, recited silently while standing.
- Birkat HaMazon Prayer or Creed — The Grace After Meals, a set of blessings of thanksgiving recited after eating a meal with bread.
- Kaddish Prayer or Creed — An Aramaic prayer sanctifying God's name, best known in its form recited by mourners.
- Shema Prayer or Creed — Judaism's central affirmation of the one God, drawn from Deuteronomy 6:4 and recited morning and evening.
- Judaism World View — Judaism is the covenant faith of the people of Israel: one God chose them, gave them his Torah, and calls them to holiness and justice in this world.
Provenance
Classification follows Ethnologue and standard Semitic linguistics; identifiers verified at build time.