This past week, we celebrated Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, a day of great joy which is traditionally observed as the anniversary of the passing of the holy 2nd century sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Rabbi Shimon is credited with authoring the Zohar, the book of mystical teachings that illuminate the deepest wisdom of Torah and the secrets of creation, and G-d’s interaction with the universe.
This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast ponders the question: Who is a "tzaddik", Hebrew for a truly righteous person, and what is the Torah’s ideal of what a righteous person should be? What is the role that these people fill throughout history, and how can we relate today to this ideal role model of perfected human behavior? Is the 'tsaddik' other-worldly, or is he a regular person, just like us?