The word for righteousness in...
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The word for righteousness in Hebrew is zadaka, which means, literally, doing good to others. This is an old Hasidic story: Once there was a rabbi who was known for his humility and saintliness of soul. He was, for this reason, a popular speaker, and people would come from far away to hear him speak. One holy day, a large crowd gathered in the house of prayer, waiting for the rabbi to lead them, but he did not come. Time passed, and the crowd began to stir a bit, but still the rabbi did not stir. Then one of the women of the congregation, who had left her child alone in the house rather than rouse her from sleep became worried and decided to return home to check on her. "After all," she thought to herself, "the rabbi may be later still, and I can be back in a few minutes." So she ran home, and listened at the door. Hearing no sound, she softly turned the knob and peered around the door -- and there stood the rabbi, holding the child in his arms. He had heard the child crying as he passed on his way to the house of prayer, and had played with it and sung to it until it fell asleep. -- Herrmann
