[Avodah] Z"L in English

[mkopinsky at gmail.com]

On 5/16/07, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:
> On Wed, May 16, 2007 at 09:26:26AM +0100, R Yaakov Wise was helping
> RnSB translate "z"l" on Areivim and wrote:
> :    Usually translated as ..."of blessed memory." Educated non-Jews all
> know
> :    this expression - at least in the UK.
>
> Except that z"l stands for words meaning "may his/her memory be for
> a blessing." We are not blessing the memory, but acknowledging the
> memory is a source of blessing for us.
>
> Tir'u baTov!
> -mi

According to the Nefesh Hachaim, even when we say G-d is blessed ("Blessed
art Thou..."), we are saying that he is a source of blessing.  What then
is the difference between "Yehei zichro baruch" (which I've actually heard
Israelis use before) and "(Yehei) zichrono livracha"?

KT,
Michael