Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Tzadikim are godly

Bamidbar Rabbah (14:4) when the tzaddikim decree, Hashem fulfills their words.

Bereishis Rabbah (08:10) When G-d created Adam, the ministering angels mistook him for a divine being and wished to exclaim ‘Holy’ before him. What does this resemble? A king and a governor who sat in a chariot, and his subjects wished to say to the king, ‘ Sovereign!’ but they did not know which it was. What did the king do? He pushed the governor out of the chariot, and so they knew who was the king. Similarly, when the Lord created Adam, the angels mistook him for a divine being. What did G-d do? He caused sleep to fall upon him, and so all knew that he was but mortal man; thus it is written, Cease ye from man, in whose nostrils is a breath, for how little is he to be accounted!

Devarim Rabbah (10:03) The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God. And what means, ' The righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God’? The righteous have power over the same things as God, if one may say so. In which way? Everything that God does, the righteous do. How is this illustrated? God remembers barren women; Elisha, too, remembered the Shunammite woman. Whence this? For it is said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. God quickens the dead; and Elisha, too, brought back to life the son of the Shunammite woman. God parts the seas, Elijah and Elisha, too, parted seas. Whence this? For it is said, And smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither. God heals without emollients, and Elisha healed Naaman without emollients. God sweetens the bitter waters, and Elisha sweetened the bitter waters, for so Scripture says,  And he said: Bring me a new cruse, etc., and it is further written, So the waters were healed. God withholds the rain, and Elijah withheld the rain, as it is said, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, etc.’. God causes rain to fall, and Samuel caused rain to fall, as it is said, ‘Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, etc.. God sends down fire, and Elijah brought down fire from heaven, as it is said,Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt-offering.

Zohar (1:10a) . G-d issues decrees, but similarly Moses issued decrees, and they were fulfilled. Further, G-d pronounces judgements and the righteous of Israel annul them, as it is written, “The righteous ruleth the fear of God”. And further, He commanded them to follow literally in His ways, and to be like Him in every way. That philosopher then went to K'far Shekalim and became a proselyte, and was given the name of Jose Katina (humble), and he studied the Torah diligently until he became one of the most learned and pious men of that place.’

1 comment:

  1. Tzaddikim are holy, but not G-dly or godly.
    Moshe Rabbeinu, for example, tapped the rock and water came out, but he was punished severely for this.
    Tzaddikim are humans, the very best of humans, but they are not gods, and that is apikorsus, or at least avodah zarah to say so

    ReplyDelete

ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE POSTED!
please use either your real name or a pseudonym.