Definitions
n. Remembrance of the destruction of the Temple.
adv. Serving as a remembrance of the destruction of the Temple.
adj. Commemorating the destruction of the Temple.
Example Sentences
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"Leaving part of one's wall unpainted Zecher Lachurban...Some Poskim rule it does not help to paint a 1×1 Ama space with black paint, and rather the space must remain unpainted...Other Poskim however justify those who do so and so is the custom of many to paint a black square on which they write Zecher Lechruban." (source)
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"This week's article discusses the nature and laws of enactments that are Zecher LaChurban – in commemoration of the Destruction." (source)
Languages of Origin
- Textual Hebrew
Etymology
זכר לחורבן
- Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
- North America
- The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
Who Uses This
Regions
Dictionaries
Alternative Spellings
Zecher la-Churban, Zekher la-Khurban, Zekher Lakhurban
Notes
"If you walk into an Orthodox Jewish home, you may sometimes see a small section of wall undecorated. This is a zecher la-churban, literally 'a remembrance of the Destruction,' a traditional mark of grief for the loss of the Temple and Jewish life 2,000 years ago. Another well-known zecher la-churban is the bridegroom's breaking of a glass underfoot at his wedding. Less well known is the custom in Jerusalem, to this day, of restricting the music at a wedding to one lone drum." (Glinert)
See also khurban.
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