Saint
Judaism

The term Tzadik, 'righteous', and its associated meanings developed in rabbinic thought from its Talmudic contrast with Ḥasīd, 'pious', to its exploration in ethical literature, and its esoteric spiritualization in Kabbalah. In Ḥasidic Judaism, the institution of the Tzadik assumed central importance, combining former elite mysticism with social movement for the first time.

In Muslim majority countries, particularly Morocco, Jewish saint veneration resembles local Muslim practices. However, the ideas and rituals in this specific context are still thoroughly situated within Judaism. The bodies of the saintly dead are treated like Torah scrolls, with their shrines being their ark, and pilgrimages taking on the ritual trappings of a Torah service. Icons of saints also are paralleled to Torah scrolls; both are manifestations of the sacred. They are also given frames made from velvet in the same style as Torah mantles, and are physically handled in similar ways. The stories and poems produced about saints match the conventions of other Rabbinic literature. Saints may be venerated by both Jews and Muslims, and are typically Torah scholars, miracle workers, and divine mediators. The similarities of Moroccan Jewish and Muslim practices, including saint veneration, were used by colonial powers to claim Morocco was unified and consisted of a distinct nation, but were not sufficiently united to resist imperialism. Today, these similarities are used to emphasize and display tolerance of religious minorities.
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