Glossary beginning with N

Lit. Locking

The final service on Yom Kippur. According to tradition, the Gates of Repentance are closed at this time.

Vow, or a solemn undertaking. Plural: nedarim.

Candle

Soul

The laws of ritual purity. Orthodox married women refrain from sexual contact with their husbands while they are menstruating and for seven days thereafter, after which they visit the mikvah for ritual cleansing. The laws and customs surrounding this practice constitute the laws of nidah.

A wordless melody.

The second part of the wedding ceremony during which the seven blessings are read.