Tsaddiq
/ˈtsɑː.dɪk/noun
A righteous or saintly person, especially in Jewish religious tradition.
Did you know?In Hasidic Judaism, a tsaddiq may be regarded not merely as morally upright but as a spiritual guide whose holiness connects ordinary people with divine blessing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṣ-d-q
“Root associated with justice, righteousness, and being in the right”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
צַדִּיק (ṣaddīq)
“Righteous, just, or morally upright”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
צדיק (ṣaddiq)
“A righteous person; in some contexts, an exceptionally pious individual”
Medieval Hebrew and Aramaic usage
Hebrew/Aramaic
צדיקא (ṣaddīqā)
“The righteous one”
18th Century
Yiddish
צדיק (tsadik)
“A righteous person, especially a Hasidic spiritual leader”
19th Century–Modern English
English
tsaddiq / tzaddik
“A saintly or righteous person in Jewish tradition”