Tzadik

tzadikim [tsadiˈkim] צדיקים‎ ṣadīqīm) is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters.

The term tzadik "righteous", and its associated meanings, developed in rabbinic thought from its Talmudic contrast with hasid ("pious" honorific), to its exploration in ethical literature, and its esoteric spiritualisation in Kabbalah.

[2] Adapting former Kabbalistic theosophical terminology, Hasidic philosophy internalised mystical experience, emphasising devekut attachment to its Rebbe leadership, who embody and channel the Divine flow of blessing to the world.

[5] According to Shneur Zalman of Liadi's Tanya, a work of Hasidic Judaism, the true title of tzadik denotes a spiritual description of the soul.

Its true meaning can only be applied to one who has completely sublimated their natural "animal" or "vital" soul inclinations into holiness, so that they experience only love and awe of God, without material temptations.

Unlike the Tzadik, they only experience divine devekut (communion) during devoted moments of worship or study, while in mundane life they can be tempted by natural inclinations, but always choose to stay connected to holiness.

Since the "Torah has 70 facets" of interpretation, perhaps both conceptions are metaphysically true: As for what is written in the Zohar III, p.231: He whose sins are few is classed as a "righteous man who suffers", this is the query of Rav Hamnuna to Elijah.

[9][non-primary source needed] Hasidim adhere to the belief that there is a person born each generation with the potential to become Messiah, if the Jewish people warrant his coming.

In the Medieval Muslim worldview, places like Egypt, al-Shām (especially Syria), and Karbala were holy or blessed land, though not necessarily as much as Mecca, Medinah, and Jerusalem.

The holiness was perpetuated via ritual behaviors such as prayer, supplication, votive offerings, sprinkling perfume and water, laying on the shrines and tombs, living in them, circumambulation, touching, and taking soil and rocks away that were thought to heal through baraka.

Sites also became holy due to their place in scripture, eschatological tradition, legends, local performance of ritual, the import/export of sacred objects and substances, and the production and display of talismans.

While some ideas, such as these, are shared, and saints were common in popular Jewish practice at various points in time, Judaism does not have a doctrine for sainthood in the way Islam does.

One of the key traits throughout history, from the writing of 1 Kings to the Modern era, of a Jewish saint is their ability to produce rain.

This includes unnatural lights descending to holy sites or emanating from them, visions, unexplained pleasant smells, and clouds ascending from shrines or hovering over them.

[11] In Egypt, Israel, and Syria, some synagogues had a small room (a hevyah, "hidden enclosure") inside them that served as a shrine to Elijah, who was seen as somewhat equivalent to al Khadir.

Pilgrims often left valuable books there in hopes they would be blessed with sons, and vows of lamp oil for the eternal light were made.

[11] In Lebanon, Karak Nuh hosts a tomb thought to be that of Noah, an identification dating back to the Medieval era.

[11] In Morocco, emphasis has been put on saint veneration's similarities between Jewish and Muslim communities to different political ends.

Some of these traits are also similar to Christian saints, which likely influenced Iberian Judaism and was brought to Morocco by the expulsion of Jews from Spain.

[14] The differences between the traditions include the fact that Muslim marabouts were recognized while alive, and were commonly related to, or were students or followers of, other holy figures.

As it is still nullified to Divinity, so not yet considered a self-aware existence, it is the realm where the 10 Sephirot attributes of God are revealed in their essence.

Seven biblical tzadikim, righteous figures are considered as embodiments of the emotional sephirot of Atzilut: Abraham-Kindness, Isaac-Restraint, Jacob-Mercy, Moses-Endurance, Aaron-Glory, Joseph-Foundation, David-Kingship.

While all seven figures are considered supreme Tzadikim, in particular contexts, either Joseph as Yesod, and Moses as inclusive soul of the community, are identified especially as archetypes for the Tzadik in general.

While the Patriarchs lived righteously as shepherds, Joseph remained holy in Egypt, surrounded by impurity, tested by Potiphar's wife, captive in prison, and then active as viceroy to Pharaoh.

As the Heavenly sephirah of Yesod-"Foundation" channels spirituality to our physical realm, so in Kabbalah and the further development in Hasidic thought, its function also parallels the human role of the Tzadik in this world: "..To love the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him.."[19] "Cleaving to a Torah scholar is as cleaving to the Divine Shechinah"[20] The leaders of Israel over the masses stem from the intellect of Adam's soul[21] "In every generation there is a leader like Moses" ...the Rebbe (Nachman of Breslov) must have intended that we go there for Rosh HaShanah, continually, until the arrival of the Mashiach.

The Rebbe himself said that the Evil had glorified many false leaders, making it extremely difficult to find where Moses is - the true Tzaddik.