One doesn’t need to look far to see the brokenness in the world. In fact, it can often be a little overwhelming. There is so much violence, economic disparity, and individual selfishness around us. It’s tempting to throw up our hands and turn away in a feeling of helplessness. 

But there’s a little known Hebrew title that gives me hope and focus. This transliterated word is “Tzadik.”

Context

Throughout the Bible, two inescapable words are righteousness & justice– tzedakah & mishpat for my Hebrew-loving readers. These two words are almost always found together as a single two-word concept. In fact, Psalm 89:14 says righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. 

The biblical word for righteousness, tzedakah, is not a moral purity standard. It’s not abstract perfection. What it means is inherently relational. It’s doing right by others. It’s making sure you’re in “right relationship” with people around you. This can only be true if there is mishpat (justice). Biblical justice is not simply retributive justice where people receive fair consequences. Rather, it’s an active and selfless pursuit of restorative justice where we are called to seek out the vulnerable, oppressed, and helpless to bring them out of unsafe, unethical, and inequitable circumstances. It’s not motivated by hating the perpetrator, but rather by loving the harmed.

If all humans are made in the image of God, then we should all experience dignity and provision. Thus, all image bearers are called to do justice and righteousness by one another. 

The Title that Gives Me Hope

Enter: the Tzadik. Maybe you noticed the word has the same root as tzedakah (righteousness). Someone called a Tzadik is being lauded as “A Righteous One,” someone who seems to always do right by others and bring justice for the people they can help. 

In our culture, it’s common to rag on rich people. It’s easy to make snide comments and assume hubris when someone has ostentatious things or simply makes more money than you do. There are a lot of reasons for this, but simply put, we are appalled by the stereotypical rich person who turns their eyes away from the needy and enjoys their abundance in oblivious luxury. This creates a widespread distrust of the rest of the wealthy people in our society.

A Tzadik, however, is the kind of rich person where the whole community celebrates when they financially thrive– because when the Tzadik is enriched, everyone else is raised up, too. As it says in Proverbs 11:10, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” 

To be a Tzadik does not require being rich. And it doesn’t require fixing the world. What it does require is looking at your sphere– your Church community, your neighborhood, your child’s school, your workplace, your city. It’s noticing the needs around you, and going out of your way to help people. It’s a local and relational way to raise up the community by doing right by others and seeking their wellbeing. 

This vision makes me optimistic because it’s not as overwhelming as fixing the problems of the world. It gives me faces I know to pray for. It gives me streets I walk to care about. It gives me people with whom I’m acquainted to serve and build relationships. And if I’m acting like a Tzadik, then we can all rejoice when God provides for my family because that will result in an immediate and direct provision for the people around me. 

This is a perfect picture of God reaching out through believers to the rest of the world. As He wanted to work through Abraham’s family to bless the nations, He still wants to work through His Church to bless the world. When the non-Christians around us receive provision in proportion to how God provides for you, they will experience the love of God. And even if it’s like the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed when only one comes back to worship Him (see Luke 17:11-19), that is still another person adopted into the royal family of God because of the love and provision they received from Him through His people. 

Getting Practical

How can you be a Tzadik? Hopefully, you’ll be able to pay attention to the needs around you and see really specific ways you can help. But here are some general ideas to help expand your imagination:

1) Pay attention to needs of people with limited mobility: simple tasks like cleaning, cooking, and shopping may be a blessing (but ask what would be helpful! Don't assume)

2) Begin building relationships with people who lack social connections: this may be elderly neighbors without family nearby, homeless people, or new immigrants that you can invite for tea or dinner

3) Listen for unexpected financial needs in your community: large medical bills and broken cars can crop up very suddenly

Using your time, finances, relational networks, and skills can all be ways to raise up your community. Speaking English is a skill you can use to help at organizations who are settling and tutoring immigrants and refugees! 

You can be a Tzadik and, as amazingly stated in Romans 8:17, take up your role co-ruling with Christ from the throne of tzedakah and mishpat.