herem

noun — 2 senses

herem

noun

Etymology Transliteration of Hebrew חֵרֶם (ḥērem). Doublet of haram and harem.

1

Judaism A prohibition enacted by rabbinic authority.

  • Six months after the Brisker Rav's arrival in 1878, he reinstated the cherem against any changes in the educational system.1998, David Rossoff, “The Battle Cry”, in Where Heaven Touches Earth:
  • Rabbi David Hacohen of Corfu supported a ḥerem against dancing by men with married women.2024, David Golinkin, “Is Mixed Dancing Really Forbidden At Weddings?”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 235:
2

Judaism The exclusion of a person from the Jewish community.

  • Mr Raz said he was fired from his job at the settlement council six months ago because of his involvement in the campaign and a rabbi placed him in "herem", an ancient religious practice requiring that a wayward person be ostracised.2006 March 23, Chris McGreal, “Settlers don't know when the knock on the door will come and they have to leave”, in The Guardian:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.