Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof (צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף)
"Justice, justice you shall pursue”
Deuteronomy 16:20
Tsade symbolizes righteousness and a "tzadik" (צַדִּיק) is a "righteous person," reflecting its association with justice and moral integrity.
Psalm 7.11 esv -- "God is a righteous judge,and a God who feels indignation every day."
In Jewish tradition, a Tzadik is someone who exemplifies righteousness and piety, living in accordance with God's commandments and embodying moral and ethical virtues. The concept of a Tzadik is central in Jewish thought, often representing an ideal to strive toward.
The word for charity in Hebrew, Tzedakah, comes from the word Tzadik. Tzedakah is an act of chesed (lovingkindness).
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 -- “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
"To judge righteously" means to make a judgment based on what is morally right and just, considering the full context of a situation and motives behind actions, rather than simply judging based on appearances or personal biases; essentially, it signifies discerning between good and evil with a God-like perspective, seeking to understand the heart of a matter before making a conclusion.
For example: How would you judge a person who robbed a store if you found out they were desperate for medicine for their sick baby?
Jeremiah 17:10 ESV
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Key points about judging righteously:
1. Not just about appearances:
Looking beyond the surface level to understand the true intentions and circumstances behind someone's actions.
2. Based on God's standards:
Striving to evaluate situations through the lens of God's teachings and principles.
3. With compassion and forgiveness:
A willingness to forgive so as not condemning others harshly.
Righteousness involves understanding the divine reality of being and identifying others as being made by God, reflecting divine qualities. Ultimately, righteous judgment seeks to bring peace and restore order by aligning actions with God's perspective.
John 7:24 -- "Do not judge according to appearance, but judges with righteous judgment."
Within the ancient wisdom of Jewish Kabalah, "intention" (kavanah) is fundamental to spiritual practice and personal growth.
Intention is distinct from expectation; while expectation focuses on personal gain, intention in Kabbalah emphasizes receiving for the sake of sharing, aligning with the Creator's will.
In Genesis 12.2, God blesses Abraham so that Abraham will be a blessing to others. "I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."
כַּוָּנָה Kavanah (Intention) involves infusing rituals and actions with genuine purpose, which opens pathways for deeper self-connection and transformation. Kabbalistic teachings stress transforming one's inherent self-serving intentions to those that benefit others, fostering spiritual growth and connection with the divine. (Hebrew root כון)
How one adjusts their intention:
1. Awareness and Desire: Recognize the inherent self-centered intention and develop a desire to change it to one that benefits others and aligns with divine will.
2. Study and Practice: Engage in study and practices which help attract the *Ohr Makif* (surrounding light). Akin to "the aroma of God."
3. Community Support: Participate in a Kabbalah group, which provides an environment conducive to changing intentions through shared goals and mutual support. (Akin to a Bible study group.)
4. Prayer and Reflection: Regularly pray for the strength and guidance to adjust your intentions, focusing on bestowing rather than receiving.
Some Biblical examples of Tzadikim:
The list of great sages and teachers in the history of Judaism is enormous! Their literary works and books about them could fill a library. I will offer but a few who effected history.
Jacob's son Joseph. He was often referred to as "Yosef haTzadik" (Joseph the Righteous). Joseph earned this title due to his moral integrity, particularly when he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, demonstrating his commitment to righteousness despite personal risk. Joseph's ability to forgive his brothers and save his family during a famine further exemplifies his righteousness and compassion.
Another example is Rabban Gamaliel I.
Rabban Gamaliel I, also known as Gamaliel the Elder, was a prominent figure in the Talmud and a leading authority in the Sanhedrin during the early first century CE. He was the son of Simeon ben Hillel and the grandson of Hillel the Elder, two other greats! As Nasi, or president, of the Sanhedrin, he was renowned for his deep knowledge of Jewish law and his progressive ordinances, particularly those affecting women and non-Jews. His teachings emphasized justice and leniency, and he is remembered for advocating tolerance towards early Christians. Interestingly, Gamaliel's influence was such that after his death, it was said that reverence for the Torah diminished. According to the New Testament, specifically Acts 22:3, Paul states that he was brought up and educated the feet of Gamaliel.
Last but not least is man in the Christian Gospel named Nicodemus. In my opinion, he was a Tzadik who doesn't get the acknowledgement he deserves.
John 7:50 -- Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?
An Unusual Comparison:
John 7 and Deuteronomy 16:20 do not have a direct connection, but they share thematic elements related to justice and righteousness.
Deuteronomy 16:20 emphasizes the pursuit of justice as a means to superficially rather than righteously. Both passages underscore the significance of true justice in spiritual and communal life.
The two major themes of the Book of Romans are righteousness and salvation. The Apostle Paul declares that to be the power of the Gospel. See Romans 1:16–17. In other words, the pursuit of Righteousness and Salvation are achieved through Faith in the Lord.
In Conclusion:
The concept of "pursuing justice" as an intention, versus "expecting an outcome" is a profoundly different approach. With an expectation comes the potential for personal agenda and the likelihood that one's pride will get in the way of a just a fair result. Then neither justice or God are served. Haven't we seen too much of that lately?!
Heaven help anyone who is on the receiving end of an egotistical and ambitious prosecutor or a corrupt judge.
EPILOGUE:
This post speaks to the essence of why I blog. I strive to be a Tzadik. When I started my blog 548 posts ago, about 14 years ago, I gave the following reason "intention" for why I was doing it.
"I write to think. I speak my mind in order to help organize my thoughts...In the final analysis, I suppose I blog to become a better person."
