zatsal

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Pronunciations

zatsal (zah-TSAHL) listen

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Definitions

  • interj. May his memory be for a blessing (appended to the name of a dead person).

Example Sentences

  • "Reb Chayim zatsal, in his later years, gave shiurim every Wednesday and Thursday."

  • "Our tour of Poland took us to the tomb of Rabbi Moshe Isserles, zatsal." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • זצ"ל (acronym of זכר צדיק לברכה zekher tzadik livrakha 'may the memory of the righteous be a blessing')

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • Australia / New Zealand
      • South Africa
      • Great Britain
      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      zatzal

Notes

  • "Rather like 'may he rest in peace,' this phrase is often appended (particularly by the Ultraorthodox) when one mentions the name of a great rabbi...It is actually a direct quotation from the biblical Book of Proverbs: 'The memory of the the righteous is a blessing, and the name of the wicked will rot.'" (Glinert)

    See also the unabbreviated form zecher tsadik livracha; see also zichrono livracha, OB"M, olav ha-sholom, and ziya.

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