I have a question about the various abbreviated honorifics that we customarily add after great Rabbi’s names, such as ZL, Shlita, etc.
I am careful to use them myself, but occasionally read (very religious) sources that omit them entirely.
So am I right in saying that although it is proper to add them, it is not halacha l’maaseh?
Thanks in advance.
Answer:
Honorifics, which are all acronyms, are used as expressions of respect for rabbis and sages. Of course, there is an obligation to honor the Torah and its bearers, but there is no formal obligation to use honorifics, and much depends on the forum where one is writing, and the context of the mention. Some limit the honoriifc to the first mention of a particular rabbi, and omit them for subsequent mentions. Some only use them when referring to a person, and not to a book. And many use them only for contemporary rabbis and sages, or those recently departed, and not for sages of bygone generations. Thus, the Maharit will not receive a z”l (or zt”l), whereas Rav Moshe Feinstein will.
