Tzadikim Nistarim

Basic Information

In Hebrew Mythology there is a tradition that in every generation there are thirty six pure and righteous people whose existence, although unrecognised by Man, continues to justify the existence of Creation to HaShem. These are the tzadikim nistarim - the "hidden righteous ones". An alternative source - from the period of Babylonian exile - gives forty five such people, thirty in Israel and fifteen in exile in Babylon¹.

Given the nature of Judaic theology, it must be presumed that these tzadikim are observant Jews - what bearing, if any, the New Covenant has on this is not generally addressed, probably due to a lack of interest on all sides.

Sources

Bibliography

1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

• Attempting to murder tzadikim - or those they believe to be tzadikim - could be a goal for anyone from common-or-garden antisemites, to antitheists, gnostics or anyone else looking to bring about the end of the world.
  • This would also interest the sort of tool that believes in secret international zionist masters and the like.
• Perhaps some great world crises have come about due to a shortage of tzadikim - the remnant needing to be kept safe until the 36 of the next generation come of age.
  • As a counterpoint, there may be some truly ancient tzadikim kicking about somewhere, frustrating schemes for the end of things.
• The ability to spot a tzadik for what they are should be no mean feat. They are, after all, hidden and telling them from any other Orthodox Jew of good character should be a struggle, especially as they might very much not know themselves. It might be more obvious to those with the power of true sight, or those able to see into the spirit world generally, but even then it may not be obvious what is special about them.
• Easily pinched for a fantasy world - even removing the religious factor, the idea that the whole of existence rests on the shoulders of a few dozen unknown individuals
  • For a secularized/Christianized version, the Young Wizards series has the abdals - individuals, rarely even one per planet, whose good nature makes them natural conduits for Life's power and who die if allowed to find out what they are.
  • Fantasy metaphysics tends to love its equivalences and balances - a dualistic setting might well have 36 people righteous enough to prove that the world is worth preserving, and another 36 vile enough to prove that it isn't.

Footnotes

1. Given that most of those taken into exile would have been the religious and political elite of Israel, the fact that the majority of the tzadikim had been left behind is … interesting … although there is a general acceptance the such individuals are rarely if every recognised for what they are.