Justice

Tzedek means justice, and the Torah's most stirring call to action uses this word in emphatic repetition: 'Tzedek, tzedek tirdof' — Justice, justice shall you pursue (Deuteronomy 16:20). The repetition is unusual in Torah, and rabbis have debated its meaning for centuries. Some say it means pursue justice through just means. Others say it means pursue justice in all circumstances, whether the outcome favors you or not. Tzedek shares a root with tzedakah (charity/righteousness) and tzaddik (righteous person), forming a constellation of values centered on right action. In Jewish thought, justice is not a cold, abstract principle but a passionate obligation. The prophets — Isaiah, Amos, Micah — thundered against injustice with a fury that still reverberates: 'Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream' (Amos 5:24). Jewish legal tradition (halacha) is essentially a system for implementing tzedek in daily life. Laws governing fair business practices, honest weights and measures, treatment of workers, care for the vulnerable, and judicial impartiality all flow from the commitment to tzedek. The concept of lifnim mishurat hadin (going beyond the letter of the law) encourages acting more justly than even the law requires. In modern Israel, tzedek is invoked by all sides of political debates — by those seeking social equality, by those demanding security, and by those advocating for minority rights. The prophetic tradition of demanding justice from power remains alive in Israeli discourse, courts, and civil society. The pursuit of tzedek is understood not as an achievement to be completed but as an ongoing, never-ending obligation.