I love to see so many people use the phrase “May her memory be a revolution” to honor the passing of RBG. It’s a really important Jewish honorific for the dead, so here’s a little history lesson for those who want to know.

The most commonly-used phrase is “May his/her memory be a blessing.”The “revolution” designation can be used in many contexts, but it’s often utilized when someone has been killed under brutal circumstances (domestic, police violence).

(For really bad folks, we often say “May his/her memory be erased.” That’s not relevant here but is usually to know for future cold shoulders.)

“May his memory be a revolution” was used in many moving tributes to George Floyd, among others.

To die on Shabbat, like RBG, one is a Tzadik, a “person of righteousness.” To die on Rosh Hashanah, as RBG also did, they are considered to be, like, *a huge Tzadik*. The idea is that G-d held them on earth until the last moments of the year, because they were needed.

To say “may her memory be a revolution” is more than just a beautiful turn of phrase. It goes to the heart of the Jewish idea that remembrance is an *active* state, not a passive one. To remember those we love and respect, we DO SOMETHING.

That’s your Jewish lesson for today. Yehi zichra mahapecha. L’Shanah Tovah. Also donate here: https://blackvotersmatterfund.org