The Tzaddik — The Righteous Master
Hebrew: צַדִּיק
The tzaddik is the spiritually perfected individual — someone who has not merely controlled but actually transformed their animal soul, elevating its very nature to holiness. In Chabad, the tzaddik is also the Rebbe — the spiritual master who serves as the channel between God and the Jewish people.
Levels of Tzaddik
Tzaddik Gamur (צַדִּיק גָּמוּר) — Complete Tzaddik
Has fully transformed the animal soul. No desire for evil remains — not even as a temptation. Such a person hates evil because there is no longer any part of them that is attracted to it. The yetzer hara is described as “dead” to such a person — they mourn at its passing, recognizing it once played a role in their development.
Tzaddik She’eino Gamur (צַדִּיק שֶׁאֵינוֹ גָּמוּר) — Incomplete Tzaddik
The tzaddik has largely transformed but still has residual aspects of the animal soul. Certain pleasures or concerns may still attract them, though they never act on them.
The Tzaddik and the Beinoni
The Alter Rebbe’s revolutionary insight: the beinoni (intermediate person) is a far more common and attainable level than is traditionally assumed. But the tzaddik — in the Tanya’s sense — is rare. The implication is:
- Don’t despair if you’re not a tzaddik — the beinoni level is the proper human aspiration
- Don’t measure yourself by tzaddikim — their inner state is genuinely different, not just more disciplined
The Rebbe as Tzaddik — The “Moses of the Generation”
Beyond the personal-spiritual dimension, Chabad has a distinctive teaching on the tzaddik as communal leader:
The Nasi HaDor (leader of the generation) is the “Moses of his time” — a soul at the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, tasked with drawing down Torah-consciousness into the generation. Key roles:
- Connecting Jews to Torah — the Rebbe reveals the inner dimensions of Torah accessible to that generation
- Channel of blessing — Divine blessing flows through the Rebbe to the people; the pidyon nefesh (soul redemption, written request) is based on this
- Collective soul — the Rebbe carries within him a spark of every Jewish soul of that generation
Tzaddik and Community
The chassid-Rebbe relationship is central to Chabad practice:
- Learning the Rebbe’s Torah (divrei Torah) connects to the Rebbe’s consciousness
- Yechidut (private audience) allows for personal connection and guidance
- Farbrengens (communal gatherings) with the Rebbe serve a collective transformative function
See Also
- The Beinoni — The practical alternative to tzaddik; the attainable ideal
- Nefesh HaBehemit — What the tzaddik has fully transformed
- Devekut — The tzaddik’s constant state
Sources
- Tanya, Chapters 1, 10-12
- Likkutei Sichos, the Rebbe’s teachings on the Nasi HaDor
- Alter Rebbe
- The Rebbe, extensive sichos on the role of the Nasi