Frum ( yi, פֿרום, , religious', 'pious) is a word that describes Jewish religious devotion. The term connotes the observance of

Jewish religious law ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical com ...

in a way that often exceeds its bare requirements. This not only includes the careful study of Torah, daily prayers, observing

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

and

kashrut (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

, and performing deeds of loving-kindness, but also many more

customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

and ''

khumrot A ''chumra'' ( he, חומרה; pl. ; alternative transliteration: ) is a prohibition or obligation in Jewish practice that exceeds the bare requirements of Halakha (Jewish law). One who imposes a ''chumra'' on oneself in a given instance is sai ...

'' (prohibitions or obligations in Jewish life that exceed the requirements of Halakha). The term ''frum'' contrasts with ''frei'' ( yi, פֿרײַ, , free), which describes Jews who are secular or practice non-Orthodox observance, or "free from keeping the… commandments."

Meaning

''Frum'' can be used in a negative sense for 'hypocritically pious', 'holier-than-thou', 'sanctimonious'; or in a positive sense for 'pious', 'devout', 'God-fearing', and 'upright'. The phrase ''frum and ehrlich'' captures the positive connotations of these words, to mean roughly 'upright' or 'righteous' (see '' tzadik''). The question "is s/he ''frum''?" asks whether the person is religious.

Derived terms

In Yinglish, ''frummer'' is used both as a noun for 'one who is frum', and as a comparative adjective, i.e. 'more frum'. The correct Yiddish comparative form of the adjective is, in fact, . ''Frumkeit'' describes the lifestyle of those who are frum. ''Frummer'' can also have a negative

connotation A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that any given word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation. A connotation is frequently described as either positive o ...

, similar to ''chasid shoteh'' ('pious idiot'), which is how the Talmud (Sotah 21B) describes a man who sees a woman drowning, but refuses to save her, and says, "It is not proper to look at her, and rescue her." A ''frummer'' in that sense is a person displaying a disproportionate emphasis on technical aspects of religion of one's daily life in a manner which actually violates the ''halakha'' in a specific case. (See Pikuach nefesh.) Another term with this meaning is ''frummie''. A person who is ''frum from birth'' (or "FFB") was born into a frum household and has remained observant. This contrasts with a '' baal teshuva'' (literally 'master of return') (or "BT"), a Jew who has become frum after a period or lifetime living a non-Orthodox lifestyle. The ''Frumba'' exercise program originated in Chicago as a derivation of the dance based fitness program Zumba. Frumba classes are offered exclusively to women who observe frum forms of tzniut modesty laws, featuring music with less explicit lyrics.

Mode of dress

''The New York Times'' defines the word ''frum'' as 'religiously observant'. For boys and men, covering the head is an identifier of religiosity. For women, being frum includes adherence to the laws of tzniut, such as modest dress covering the arms and legs. For married women, a head covering is another indicator.

References

{{Reflist Orthodox Judaism Yiddish words and phrases

Meaning

Derived terms

Mode of dress

See also

References