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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
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TZADDIK — צדיק
Tzaddik is the Hebrew term for an
exceptionally righteous man. Proverbs 10:25 says that unlike the wicked who are
swept away by a whirlwind, the righteous have an everlasting foundation. Judaism
teaches that the righteous can mediate in prayer between God and men.
The greatest tzaddik is the long-awaited Messiah, who will lead the world
to true redemption as the mediator between God and men. Over the years,
the ultra-Orthodox Hassidic groups have competed with one another as to who is
the most righteous. This competition is bound up with the hope that the Messiah
will arise out of their ranks.
In the course of history, this has led to peculiar phenomena among those
considered righteous men. For example, the righteousness of the leading rabbis
was measured by how many miracles they could perform, which was often misused as
a basis for power.
What does the Bible say?
“The righteous man shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).
“The righteous man is an everlasting foundation” (Proverbs 10:25)
The prayer over meals ends with the following verse:
“I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
nor his children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25).
Psalm 92:12 is also part of this blessing:
“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon.”
But this warning comes from the wise King Solomon:
“Be not overly righteous!”(Ecclesiastes 7:16)
The Talmud (Oral Law) says:
“The righteous say little and do much;” “This world would have been created even
for one righteous man;” and, “No righteous man passes away before one
like him is created.”
The Midrash (commentaries) says:
“If a person wishes to become a priest (cohen) or a Levite, he cannot, but even
a Gentile can be righteous”
Believers, both Jew and Gentile, know that Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah is the
only truly righteous One:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your
king comes to you, Righteous and having salvation, Gentle and riding on a
donkey, On a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
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