Tzaddik
/ˈtsɑː.dɪk/noun
A righteous or exceptionally pious person, especially a Jewish spiritual leader or saintly figure.
Did you know?The Hebrew Bible calls the righteous a “foundation of the world,” a phrase later amplified in Jewish mystical and Hasidic traditions surrounding the tzaddik.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
צַדִּיק (ṣaddīq)
“Righteous, just, or morally upright person; formed from the Semitic root ṣ-d-q, relating to justice and right conduct.”
Second Temple Period
Hebrew
צַדִּיק
“A righteous person, contrasted with the wicked in Jewish religious and ethical writing.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
צַדִּיק
“A person distinguished by exceptional piety and observance; later, a revered sage or holy individual.”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
צַדִּיק
“A righteous figure, including a spiritually elevated person in Jewish philosophical and mystical traditions.”
18th Century
Yiddish/Hebrew
צדיק (tsadik)
“A Hasidic spiritual master regarded by followers as an exemplary righteous person and religious guide.”
Modern English
English
tzaddik
“A Jewish righteous person or saintly spiritual leader; also spelled tzadik, tsaddik, or zadik.”