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Who is "righteous"? The Rambam adopts a very simple definition: A righteous person is one who is more good than bad:

כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִבְּנֵי הָאָדָם יֵשׁ לוֹ זְכֻיּוֹת וַעֲוֹנוֹת. מִי שֶׁזְּכֻיּוֹתָיו יְתֵרוֹת עַל? עֲוֹנוֹתָיו צַדִּיק. וּמִי שֶׁעֲוֹנוֹתָיו יְתֵרוֹת עַל זְכֻיּוֹתָיו רָשָׁע -- Each and every one of the sons of man has virtues and vices. He whose virtues exceed his vices is a righteous man (צַדִּיק) and he whose vices exceed his virtues is an evildoer (רָשָׁע). [Mishneh Torah, Sefer Madda, Laws of Repentance 3:1]

But what practical value does this definition have for determining whether a person is righteous or not? It conjures up images of a point system, in which every action is assigned a positive or negative value, and if the sum is positive you are righteous. Such a system does not exist in Judaism.

So is the Rambam just trying to tell us, "Don't be too hard on yourself. The bar is not as high as you think." ?

Maurice Mizrahi
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  • Are you positing that there is "practical value [in] determining whether a person is righteous or not?" If there is no value to doing that, then the process needn't be questioned. – rosends Jan 01 '21 at 15:21
  • Yes. Don't we need to know who to respect, admire, emulate, etc.? – Maurice Mizrahi Jan 01 '21 at 15:22
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    "Such a system does not exist in Judaism." How do you know that? – Double AA Jan 01 '21 at 15:24
  • @DoubleAA -- "Rabbi [Yehudah haNasi] said: Be as scrupulous in observing a [seemingly] minor commandment as a [seemingly] major commandment, because you do not know the value of each commandment." [Pirkei Avot 2:1] – Maurice Mizrahi Jan 01 '21 at 15:27
  • @MauriceMizrahi ??? Of what relevance is that quote? – Double AA Jan 01 '21 at 15:32
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    @MauriceMizrahi Not knowing the value does not mean the value does not exist. – Salmononius2 Jan 01 '21 at 15:32
  • Chazal said the value exists, but we don't know it, so its existence alone does not allow us to assess whether one is a tzaddik. – Maurice Mizrahi Jan 01 '21 at 15:38
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    At the end of halachah 2 there, the Rambam clearly states that the determination of whether a person is a tzaddik or not is for Hashem alone to calculate (וְאֵין שׁוֹקְלִין אֶלָּא בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אֵל דֵּעוֹת וְהוּא הַיּוֹדֵעַ הֵיאַךְ עוֹרְכִין הַזְּכֻיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד הָעֲוֹנוֹת). – Meir Jan 01 '21 at 16:39
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    Cf Hilchot Ishut 8:5. – Alex Jan 01 '21 at 17:03
  • The word tsaddik is a misnomer. In t'nach only two people are called that. Noach and Yossef. Because they gave to eat or tsdoko. Even Moshe rabainu is not called that. – interested Jan 02 '21 at 18:12
  • Rambam writes that the righteous do more than what the law requires. – Turk Hill Jan 12 '21 at 04:42
  • The word "tzadik" has more than one definition and meaning. Depending on the context and on the source, it could mean someone who has done a good deed, or someone who has more mitzvot than averot, or someone who is generally known to be a righteous person, or someone who has an unusually lofty neshama, etc., etc. –  Jan 12 '21 at 16:48

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