Hora’ah – הוראה – Teaching
“You should search after a tzadik who has the power to gather in the souls and elevate them. Then your soul will be elevated with the others and renewed, and through this Torah will be brought down into the world and revealed. You must plead with G-d again and again to make you worthy of finding such a tzadik. He has the power to cleanse you of the blemishes caused by your desires and impulses and actually elevate them. When a person has a certain lust, the desire itself is a blemish which embitters the soul, as it is written, `she was bitter in her soul’ (Samuel I, 1:10) and `her soul was bitter’ (Kings II, 4:27). The soul becomes dissipated and does not radiate. It is a `hungry soul ‘ (Psalms 107:9). But by coming to the tzadik, a complete tikkun can be achieved. The tzadik has the power to purify and elevate even a person’s negative desires together with his positive, holy yearning, as it is written, `The hungry person He fills with good’ (Psalms Ibid.). `He will satisfy your soul in drought’ (Isaiah 58:10) and `He will renew your youth like the eagle’s’ — which is to say that all the days of your youth, which were passed in darkness, will be renewed. The wrongs will be corrected and you will be worthy of the name Adam. One’s body is also elevated and renewed when he comes to the tzadik.”
Likutey Moharan, I, 13:5,6
“Attachment to the tzaddik is a most significant principle. It helps man ascend on the ladder of piety and holiness to his preordained goal of attachment to G-d (Gen.28:12; Jn.1:51). It offers man concrete means to remain forever aware of ultimate reality, of his ultimate nature and purpose in life. The tzaddik is a physician of the soul, providing both preventative and therapeutic medicine for man’s soul.”
Hilchot De’ot 2:1; Shemonah Perakim, ch.3
“Little wonder then, that the torah makes attachment to tzaddikim a religious obligation by ordaining ‘cleave unto G-d’ (Deut 11:22): How is it possible to say that? But you cleave unto the sages and it will be accounted to you as though you cleave to Him.”
Chassidic Dimensions Volume 3, Jacob Immanuel Schochet, p.95
“They believed in G-d and Moses (Exodus 14:31). If they believed Moses, surely they must have believed in G-d? But this teaches you that whoever believes in the shepherd of Israel is the same as having faith in Him who spoke and the world came into being … In like manner … speaking against the shepherd of Israel is like speaking against Him who spoke and the world came into being.”
Chassidic Dimensions Volume 3, Jacob Immanuel Schochet, p.113
“… because of the physical restraints imposed upon him by this world, man – almost without exception – finds it nearly impossible to perceive this spiritualism. The Tzaddik is the exception. He does have a grasp of the spiritual. He can discover the level and the route – and not only his own, but those of others as well … A Tzaddik knows on what to concentrate his energies and how to focus on it, and he knows how then to bring his understanding down to a level that even ordinary people can comprehend.” … “The bond which we seek to create with the Tzaddik is a spiritual one. In this sense, it is like the bond each Jew wants to create between himself and G-d.”
Crossing the Narrow Bridge, Chaim Kramer, p. 320,328
The Torah commands, “And you shall cleave unto Him’ (Deut.10:20). The Rabbonim (may their memories be for a blessing) explain it as follows: ‘Is He not a devouring fire? The verse, therefore, means to cleave to the learned (tzaddikim)’ (Sifre, Deut.11:22). Yet, one might object that it is written, ‘You shall cleave utno Him’ and truly means Him. How then can one distort the verse to mean cleaving to the tzaddikim, which is not the same as cleaving to G-d? It is necessary to explain, therefore, that if one cleaves to the learned, he cleaves with him to the L-rd as well. (And this is the mearning of the tale of the two merrymakers who by turning sorrow to joy, joined others to themselves and thus to G-d) (Taanit 22a). See and understand that this is the highest rung, for the purpose of all the commandments is to enable one to cleave to G-d, the Torah has wisely commanded him to cleave to the learned (tzaddikim), by means of whom he will be raised” (Toldot Yaakov Yosef, 125c). In cleaving to the tzaddik, the people not only join themselves to him, but also they are raised with him. This is an action of the tzaddik himself. One who leads the community for the sake of heaven must direct the people both in worldy and in spiritual matters, not with words and deeds alone, but also in thought, joining himself to the L-rd with the people of his generation and raising them so that they might cleave to the L-rd, under the condition that they too will join themselves to the leaders of the generation. Then the leaders of the generation can seize their hands and raise them… This is the meaning of the passage, “When one believes in a shepherd of Israel, it is as if he believes in the L-rd Himself,’ (Melkhita) for the one is the means to the other… By a shepherd is meant one who shepherds and watches over the flock so that they are well fed… acting for the sake of heaven, for the welfare of Israel. It is good to believe in such a man” (Toldot Yaakov Yosef 56c).
“The Zaddik: The Doctrine of the Zaddik According to the Writings of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoy,” Samuel H. Dresner, pp. 129-130.
Receiving counsel from the tzaddik creates a bond between the giver and the receiver. In a sense, this is like a marriage. Through the transmission of his advice, a union occurs between the tzaddik and the person receiving from him
Likutey Moharan I, 7:4
“He (the tzaddik) is a talpiyot – the elevation for all to turn to.”
Tikunei Zohar 6:145b [Berachot 30a]
Rebbe Nachman speaks of the association between the concept of the tzaddik and the messiah and ‘attaching oneself’ to such a person in faith:
“One who attached himself to the true tzaddikim has true faith. Mashiach is the true tzaddik. One who accepts Mashiach will receive from him pure faith, and will not have misplaced his faith.”
Mashiach – Who? What? Why? How? Where? When?, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Resarch Institute, Jerusalem, p. 86.
New Testament
The gospels present various views regarding having a measure of trust in Yeshua.
He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Mark 2:17
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of G-d, even to those who believe in His name,
John 1:12
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of G-d; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
John 5:19-30
‘On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’
John 7:37
‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Matt.11:28
Thus just to meet and see the tzaddik is itself already a profound lesson in Torah-study and Torah-conduct (Lk.6:40).
‘A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.’
Luke 6:40
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Galatians 2:20
The Rebbe-tzaddik helps man achieve this goal.
‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.’
John 6:44
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6
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