ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 106910 - Translation - Tombstone - South Africa


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 4/28/2024 8:52 PM
Family Surname: Wolk
Country: South Africa

Click the picture to enlarge

Please translate the Hebrew inscription on the gravestone. Thanks!

Response

4/30/2024 4:04 PM

buried here
Beloved and dear father
A great leader and educator
Beloved and preached to the people
Rabbi Leib son of Rabbi Zadok
died on the 14th of Adar 5773
May his soul be bundled in the bundle of life

4/30/2024 11:47 PM

I read a few items differently from the previous helper.

--------------------------------------------
Here lies

A beloved and dear father

an outstanding leader and educator

beloved and satisfactory to the people

The rabbi Rabbi LAYB son of Reb Tzadok

He passed away 14 Adar 5723

May his soul be bound up in the bond of life.

====================================================
The word that I have translated as "outstanding" is an anagram of the word that would mean "great".

The word that I have translated as "satisfactory" can also be translated as "one who lectures"; without vowels, it is hard to be sure which was meant.

Whereas the deceased is clearly identified as a rabbi, his father's name is preceded by the title 'Reb', which is an honorary title and does not mean rabbi. (It is true that the same abbreviation can be read as rabbi or Reb; however, had he been a rabbi, the person who composed the text would have identified him as such very clearly, as was done for the deceased.)

His date of death coincided with the holiday of Purim.

5/1/2024 2:49 AM

As a fluent, native Hebrew speaker, I feel myself qualified to say that "satisfactory to the people", is a highly unlikely translation, based on misreading the מרצה "Meratseh" instead of as "Martseh".

The immediate translation of that incorrectly read Hebrew word would be "placating". And even if that were the correct reading of the single word, the rest is incorrect grammatically. It's as though you wrote "placating at" in English. One does not "placate at" and one does not "meratseh le". Also, note that "people" appears here in a word whose meaning is the like "a nation". I very much doubt a person would be described as "Placating [to] the nation".

On the other "A lecturer to the people" is far far more likely, and far more correct grammatically. It also complements his description as a "distinguished [outstanding, exceptional] leader and educator".

ViewMate Posting VM 106910

Submitted by Roy Ogus

Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself!

Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information!

Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today.

Learn how to enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles submitted by volunteer researchers just like you!

Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community.

The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

ViewMate Posting VM 106910

Submitted by Roy Ogus