JewishEncyclopedia.com

WATER-RIGHTS – See Riparian Owners.
WAVE-OFFERING – See Sacrifice.
WAW – Sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The name possibly means "nail" or "hook," and the shape of the letter in the Phenician alphabet bears some resemblance to a hook. "Waw" is a labial spirant, identical in sound with the...
WAWELBERG, HIPPOLITE HENRICHOVICH – Russian banker; born at Warsaw 1844; died at St. Petersburg Oct. 20, 1901. After graduating from the real-gymnasium of Warsaw he studied at the university of that city, and later at the Agricultural College of Nova Alexandria,...
WAX – In the Old Testament wax is referred to only as a simile for something easily dissolved or evanescent (Ps. lxviii. 3); for compliance and submission (Judges xvi. 18; Micah i. 4; Ps. xcvii. 5); or for fear and discouragement (Ps....
WAY – See Right of Way.
WAY, LEWIS – English clergyman; born at Denham, Bucks, England, Feb. 11, 1772; died in London Jan. 26, 1840. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, and was called to the bar in 1797, but entered the Church and devoted to Church purposes...
WAYEHI 'EREB – One of the "nedarim," or special declamatory variations from the strict Cantillation of the Pentateuch, according to the Northern use. This chant is introduced into the reading which reopens the yearly cycle of pericopes on the...
WAYEKULLU – The concluding verses of the story of Creation, deemed from Talmudic times an essential portion of the prayers for Friday night, as the eve of the Sabbath (Shab. 119b). While the whole congregation remained standing (Shulḥan...
WAYIḲRA RABBAH – Haggadic midrash to Leviticus. Under the name "Wayiḳra Rabbah" this midrash is first referred to by Nathan, in his " 'Aruk," s. v. , , and in several other passages, as well as by Rashi in his commentaries on Gen. xlvi. 26, Ex....
WE-ADAR – See Adar Sheni.
WE-'AL KULLOM – The brief prayer which interrupts and divides into three sections the longer confession of sins enumerated in alphabetical order (see 'Al Ḥeṭ) in the prayers of the Day of Atonement. The traditional melody presents many variants...
WEASEL – Unclean animal (Lev. xi. 29). Saadia, Bochart, and others render by "mole," referring to the Arabic "ḥuld" and the Aramaic "ḥuldah." The family of the Mustelidœ, to which the weasel belongs, is represented in Palestine and Syria...
WEATHER-LORE – Popular prognostications regarding the weather. A certain number of these occur in the Talmud (B. B. 147a). If the weather at Shabu'ot is clear, sow wheat. If the smoke of the altar turns to the north on the last days of...
WEAVING – As early as the nomadic period the Israelites understood the art of spinning the hair of camels and goats, and the wool of sheep, and of weaving therefrom rough stuffs for tents and clothing. Their method of weaving was probably...
WECHSELMANN, IGNAZ – Hungarian architect and philanthropist; born at Nikolai, Prussian Silesia, in 1828; died at Budapest Jan. 17, 1903. He was educated at Berlin, and then went to Vienna, where he became the friend and assistant of the architect...
WECKER, DER – See Periodicals.
WEDDING – See Marriage Ceremonies.
WEEK – Connection with Lunar Phases. A division of time comprising seven days, thus explaining the Hebrew name. There are indications of the use of another system of reckoning time, in which the month was divided into three parts of...
WEEKBLAD VOOR ISRAELIETEN – See Periodicals.
WEEKS, FEAST OF – See Pentecost.
WE-HIZHIR – See Midrash Haggadah.
WEHU RAḤUM – A prayer, beginning with Ps. lxxviii. 38, recited on Mondays and Thursdays before Taḥanun. It is composed chiefly of Biblical verses, and is divided into seven parts: (1) "Wehu Raḥum"; (2) "Haṭṭeh Elo'a Ozneka"; (3) "Habbeṭ Na";...
WEIBERDEUTSCH – See Judæo-German.
WEICHSELBAUM, ANTON – Austrian physician; born at Schiltern, Lower Austria, Feb. 8, 1845. Educated at the Josefs-Akademie and the University of Vienna (M.D. 1869), he joined the army as surgeon and remained in service until 1878, when he resigned and...

WATER-RIGHTS – See Riparian Owners.

WAVE-OFFERING – See Sacrifice.

WAW – Sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The name possibly means "nail" or "hook," and the shape of the letter in the Phenician alphabet bears some resemblance to a hook. "Waw" is a labial spirant, identical in sound with the...

WAWELBERG, HIPPOLITE HENRICHOVICH – Russian banker; born at Warsaw 1844; died at St. Petersburg Oct. 20, 1901. After graduating from the real-gymnasium of Warsaw he studied at the university of that city, and later at the Agricultural College of Nova Alexandria,...

WAX – In the Old Testament wax is referred to only as a simile for something easily dissolved or evanescent (Ps. lxviii. 3); for compliance and submission (Judges xvi. 18; Micah i. 4; Ps. xcvii. 5); or for fear and discouragement (Ps....

WAY – See Right of Way.

WAY, LEWIS – English clergyman; born at Denham, Bucks, England, Feb. 11, 1772; died in London Jan. 26, 1840. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, and was called to the bar in 1797, but entered the Church and devoted to Church purposes...

WAYEHI 'EREB – One of the "nedarim," or special declamatory variations from the strict Cantillation of the Pentateuch, according to the Northern use. This chant is introduced into the reading which reopens the yearly cycle of pericopes on the...

WAYEKULLU – The concluding verses of the story of Creation, deemed from Talmudic times an essential portion of the prayers for Friday night, as the eve of the Sabbath (Shab. 119b). While the whole congregation remained standing (Shulḥan...

WAYIḲRA RABBAH – Haggadic midrash to Leviticus. Under the name "Wayiḳra Rabbah" this midrash is first referred to by Nathan, in his " 'Aruk," s. v. , , and in several other passages, as well as by Rashi in his commentaries on Gen. xlvi. 26, Ex....

WE-ADAR – See Adar Sheni.

WE-'AL KULLOM – The brief prayer which interrupts and divides into three sections the longer confession of sins enumerated in alphabetical order (see 'Al Ḥeṭ) in the prayers of the Day of Atonement. The traditional melody presents many variants...

WEASEL – Unclean animal (Lev. xi. 29). Saadia, Bochart, and others render by "mole," referring to the Arabic "ḥuld" and the Aramaic "ḥuldah." The family of the Mustelidœ, to which the weasel belongs, is represented in Palestine and Syria...

WEATHER-LORE – Popular prognostications regarding the weather. A certain number of these occur in the Talmud (B. B. 147a). If the weather at Shabu'ot is clear, sow wheat. If the smoke of the altar turns to the north on the last days of...

WEAVING – As early as the nomadic period the Israelites understood the art of spinning the hair of camels and goats, and the wool of sheep, and of weaving therefrom rough stuffs for tents and clothing. Their method of weaving was probably...

WECHSELMANN, IGNAZ – Hungarian architect and philanthropist; born at Nikolai, Prussian Silesia, in 1828; died at Budapest Jan. 17, 1903. He was educated at Berlin, and then went to Vienna, where he became the friend and assistant of the architect...

WECKER, DER – See Periodicals.

WEDDING – See Marriage Ceremonies.

WEEK – Connection with Lunar Phases. A division of time comprising seven days, thus explaining the Hebrew name. There are indications of the use of another system of reckoning time, in which the month was divided into three parts of...

WEEKBLAD VOOR ISRAELIETEN – See Periodicals.

WEEKS, FEAST OF – See Pentecost.

WE-HIZHIR – See Midrash Haggadah.

WEHU RAḤUM – A prayer, beginning with Ps. lxxviii. 38, recited on Mondays and Thursdays before Taḥanun. It is composed chiefly of Biblical verses, and is divided into seven parts: (1) "Wehu Raḥum"; (2) "Haṭṭeh Elo'a Ozneka"; (3) "Habbeṭ Na";...

WEIBERDEUTSCH – See Judæo-German.

WEICHSELBAUM, ANTON – Austrian physician; born at Schiltern, Lower Austria, Feb. 8, 1845. Educated at the Josefs-Akademie and the University of Vienna (M.D. 1869), he joined the army as surgeon and remained in service until 1878, when he resigned and...