Tzedek (צדק) — Righteousness, Justice
Core definition
Tzedek is righteousness — the attribute of justice as it is divine. Above, "צדק מלכותא קדישא" — tzedek is the holy kingship (Zohar): it is identified with Malchus, the attribute through which the divine order reaches the lower worlds [15962/maamar_025 :: עב׳ 38]. The Yom Kippur liturgy proclaims "וכל מאמינים שהוא שופט צדק" — "and all believe that He is a righteous Judge" — preceded by "השוה ומשוה קטן וגדול" (He who makes equal and equalizes small and great): in His judgment small and great stand equal [15911/maamar_002 :: עב׳ 1–2].
How the Rebbeim develop it
"צדק צדק תרדוף" (righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue — Devarim 16:20): the doubling teaches "that there are two aspects of צדק — that is, the aspect of צדק of charity and prayer; and there is the aspect of צדק of Torah, which is also called צדק — as it is written, 'all Your commandments are righteousness' (כל מצותך צדק, Tehillim 119:172)" [58845/maamar_024 :: עב׳ 208–210]. "For in truth, what the Torah was given to Israel — this is also the aspect of charity" [58845/maamar_024 :: עב׳ 211]. Both are "so that you live" — "in order to draw the aspect of life to Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah" [58845/maamar_024 :: עב׳ 212]. The giving of the Torah is itself an act of divine charity: justice is not only judgment from above but bestowal to below.
Prayer is established "against the heichalos," and its revelation of "His face" comes only through charity: giving below draws Atzilut into BY"A — "to enliven the spirit of the lowly" [58845/maamar_024 :: overview]. Rav Elazar gave charity before prayer to reach "אני בצדק אחזה פניך" (in righteousness I shall behold Your face, Tehillim 17:15) [58845/maamar_024 :: summary]. The poor man is as the moon (לית לה מגרמה כלום — having nothing of her own); the coin given draws the vav to the hei [58845/maamar_024 :: overview]. Above, "His face" is inward illumination — while "וישב ה' מלך" is the back, Malchus's external illumination; charity draws the face, not only the back [58845/maamar_024 :: summary].
Divine judgment is itself an act of tzedek toward life. On "יעלוז שדי כי בא לשפוט" (the field rejoices when He comes to judge): the judgment is not a complete judgment — "it exists only to draw each year's new illumination" — hence the field and the trees rejoice, and Israel wears white on Rosh Hashanah [58845/maamar_024 :: overview]. Rosh Hashanah's judgment (אלקים בתרועה) turns through the shofar to "הוי' בקול שופר" — mercy; hence Dovid's "מלפניך משפטי יצא" (from before You let my judgment go forth) [58845/maamar_024 :: summary].
In avodah: "through charity — the aspect of actual deed specifically — his mind and heart become doubly pure; this is in the manner of a segulah... through which much light is added in Torah and avodah" [15911/maamar_006 :: עב׳ 107]. And "through the raising of mayin nukvin of fulfilling Torah and mitzvos in general — and through charity and kindness in particular — they draw from the aspect of the Ohr Ein Sof, to enclothe itself in the aspect of the Chesed of Ze'ir Anpin" [15911/maamar_006 :: עב׳ 14].
Key distinctions
- Tzedek of charity/prayer vs. tzedek of Torah: the two aspects of "צדק צדק" — the first draws life through bestowal and turning to Havayah; the second is the Torah itself, also called tzedek ("all Your commandments are righteousness") — both to draw life to BY"A [58845/maamar_024 :: עב׳ 208–212].
- Tzedek as Malchus vs. tzedek as judgment: as Malchus ("צדק מלכותא קדישא"), tzedek is the kingship's holiness, the measured order reaching the worlds; as "שופט צדק," it is the Judge before whom small and great are equal [15962/maamar_025 :: עב׳ 38; 15911/maamar_002 :: עב׳ 1–2].
- Judgment for life vs. judgment for retribution: the divine judgment "exists only to draw the new yearly illumination" — hence the field rejoices [58845/maamar_024 :: overview].
Related concepts
Tzedakah (charity), Mishpat (judgment), Malchus, Rosh Hashanah's judgment, "אני בצדק אחזה פניך," Chesed.
Sources
- 58845/maamar_024, עב׳ 208–214; overview; summary (צדק צדק; two aspects; charity drawing life; the judgment for the new illumination)
- 15962/maamar_025, עב׳ 38 (צדק מלכותא קדישא)
- 15911/maamar_002, עב׳ 1–9 (שופט צדק; השוה ומשוה קטן וגדול)
- 15911/maamar_006, עב׳ 14; עב׳ 107–108 (tzedakah's segulah; drawing Ohr Ein Sof to Chesed of Z"A)