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The Noda BiYehuda has a commentary on Shas known as Tzlach - can someone help me by explaining what that stands for?

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4  
Are you sure the Tzlach doesn't have a book of responsa known as Noda BiYehuda? Just kidding. The Dagul Mer'vava wrote both! – WAF Apr 13 '11 at 4:03
Aaron Ross, If you register your account at mi.yodeya.com/users/login , I'll merge in your previous unregistered account, and then all of your contributions will be collected in one place. – Isaac Moses Apr 13 '11 at 5:00

3 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

In his introduction, the Noda Biyehudah says that indeed the sefer was named for his mother (as Shalom mentioned in his comment). He also adds that the ל in לנפש represents his father (since יהודה equals 30, same as ל), and that the word ציון is for his own name, since it has the same gematria as יחזקאל.

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up vote 3 down vote

ציון לנפש חיה

The abbreviation also has the connotation of "success" (צלח is the imperative form of הצלחה.) I'm not sure whether that meaning was intended, though.

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"Tziun l'nefesh chaya" means: "a signpost for a living soul." Rabbi Yechezkel Landau dedicated the book to his mother's memory, whose name was Chaya. (Just as his responsa, Noda BiHuda ("known in Judah") was dedicated to the memory of his father, Yehudah.) – Shalom Apr 13 '11 at 6:41
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Just two small additions to R'Shalom's comment: One, tziyun is also a word used to mean "grave marker". Two, tziyun l'nefesh chaya can also be read as "a [ tziyun ] for Chaya's soul"; I guess the double entendre was intentional. – msh210♦ Apr 13 '11 at 15:21
up vote 5 down vote

ציון לנפש חיה = צל"ח

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2  
Tziyun, not tziyon. – msh210♦ Apr 13 '11 at 6:14
3  
That's what he said. :) – Dave Apr 13 '11 at 12:59

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