lamed-vav tzadikim

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Definitions

  • n. The hidden saints; the thirty-six anonymous, righteous people that live in each generation, a notion rooted in Jewish mystical tradition.

Example Sentences

  • "Never refuse a beggar—he may be one of the Lamed-vav tsadikim." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • TH ל"ו צַדִיקִים Lamed Vav Tzadikim in which "lamed vav" represents the number 36 using gematria (ל 'lamed' represents '30' while ו 'vov' represents 6).

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      lamed vov tsadikim, lamed vav tsadikim, lamed vov tzadikim, lomed vov tzadikim, lomed vov tsadikim, lomed-vov tsadikim, lomed-vov tzadikim

Notes

  • Another term for lamed-vav tzadikim is lamed-vovnik.

    singular: 'lamed-vav tzadik'

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