Ask the director

Posted

Question: I have noticed a set of five Hebrew letters at the end of the Hebrew phrasing on many monuments. What do these letters stand for? 

I.G., East Greenwich

Dear I.G.,

Often we see a combination of the Hebrew letters tav, nun, tsadi, bet, and hay inscribed on a monument or a marker. These Hebrew letters are an abbreviation for t’hay nafsho/nafsha tzrurah b’tzror hachairn. The English translation is roughly  “May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.”

Questions are welcomed and encouraged. Please send questions to: ShalomChapel@aol.com or by mail to Ask the Director, c/o Shalom Memorial Chapel, 1100 New London Ave., Cranston, R.I. 02920.