ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 95849 - Translation - Tombstone - USA


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Tombstone
Approval Date: 11/3/2021 12:17 PM
Family Surname: Finkenstein
Country: USA

Click the picture to enlarge

I would be grateful for a translation of the Hebrew inscription.

Thank you,

David

Response

11/3/2021 12:36 PM

Here lies

A simple and honest man, G-d fearing, he is

YEHUDAH LAYB son of Reb Yosef Finkelstein

He died at an old and fulfilled age, 3 Cheshvan

and was buried on the 4th day of the year 5673

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

====================================================
'Reb' is an honorific; it does not mean rabbi.

There are a few issues with the text on this stone.

In the first line, there is a letter missing from the word that translates to "honest".

The second issue is with the date. The text actually reads that he died on 50 Cheshvan; there is no such date. The Hebrew letter that looks closest represents the number 3, which is why I gave this date. This also seems to agree with the next line, which says that he was buried on the 4th day. (This can mean the 4th day of the month; it can also mean Wednesday).

However, these dates do not correspond with October 27th, 1912. October 27th corresponds to the 16th or 17th day of the month of Cheshvan (depending upon whether he died before or after sunset). If the Hebrew date was indeed the 3rd of Cheshvan: this date began at sunset on October 13th, and ended at sunset on the 14th.

11/3/2021 9:22 PM

A pious and upright man [he] feared G-d

איש תם וישר
A note on these words: We try to get into the mindset of whoever composed the wording to be engraved on their loved-one's tombstone. Which of the several meanings for the word "tam" was their intention? Logically, a person wouldn't summarize a departed loved one to have been a "simple" person. We therefore move on to the "other" Hebrew-English dictionary translations of the word "tam" to see which fits: complete, wholesome, integrity, pious, innocent. The words that follow - "[he] feared G-d" - tells that the person was pious and I therefore believe this is the correct translation.

ViewMate Posting VM 95849

Submitted by David Brostoff

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.

Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences.

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 95849

Submitted by David Brostoff