Defining the Tzaddik, Beinoni and Rasha

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The Gemara¹ tells us that on Rosh Hashanah, three books are opened. The book of tzaddikim, the righteous; the book of reshaim, the wicked and the book of beinonim, the average. Rav Engel powerfully explains that these books are not regular sefarim. They are the books of our souls. On Rosh Hashanah, we stand before Hashem and He opens us up. He reads our soul, our very essence – like a book.

The Rambam in Hilchot Teshuva² famously defines the parameters of tzaddik, beinoni and rasha in mathematical terms. He writes that a tzaddik is one whose merits outweigh their sins, a rasha is one whose sins exceed their merits and a beinoni hangs in the balance at exactly 50-50. The Rambam explains, therefore, that anyone who has more merits than sins is immediately inscribed for life on Rosh Hashanah and anyone who has more sins than merits is immediately inscribed for the opposite. Those who had a count of 50-50, the beinonim are left until Yom Kippur where they have the aseret ymei teshuva, the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur to tip their balance.

The Rambam says we must therefore elevate the power of a single mitzva in our eyes because all it takes is one merit to tip the scales. For an individual, for a city, and indeed, for the world. If the world currently stands at 50-50, our single mitzva in these ten days can seal the world for life and blessing.

A mitzva can be worth more or less depending on the person who performed it, the effort expended to fulfill it and multiple other factors which only Hashem could take into account. What the Rambam does say definitively is that some mitzvot are worth more than others. But, he cautions, it is only the Kel Deiot (G-d of Knowledge), our omniscient Creator Who can calculate the worth of each mitzva. This all-encompassing vision is obscured from us.

All this, however, may sound overly simplified because in truth, we do not know the worth of each mitzva. The din of Rosh Hashanah is far deeper and more penetrating than a mere tally of numbers. A mitzva can be worth more or less depending on the person who performed it, the effort expended to fulfill it and multiple other factors which only Hashem could take into account. What the Rambam does say definitively is that some mitzvot are worth more than others. But, he cautions, it is only the Kel Deiot (G-d of Knowledge), our omniscient Creator Who can calculate the worth of each mitzva. This all-encompassing vision is obscured from us.

In our realm, we are advised to view ourselves as beinonim, as people whose fate hangs in the balance based on our behavior in these ten days. For this reason, the Rambam exhorts us to do teshuva at this time. We are desperate for merit and our teshuva can swing us over to the book of life and blessing. Yet, Rabbi Kallus wonders why the mitzva of teshuva is the focus of this time. If we follow the Rambam, what emerges is that any mitzva, any merit can tip our individual balance. Yet, the Rambam does not say to perform a mitzva of choice, but specifically the mitzva of teshuva. What is so special about the mitzva of teshuva?

In a nutshell, a seed cannot be planted in two places. A seed must be planted in a single, fixed spot. Rebbetzin Halberstadt explains that the teshuva process of Rosh Hashanah anchors the roots in the right place, whereas Yom Kippur prunes the bad leaves from the tree. During the year, we are beinonim. We plant our seeds in two different places; we enjoy parts of the mitzvot, yet we also follow the voice of our yetzer hara and invest in things which detract from our spirituality. On Rosh Hashanah, we uproot the system from underground. We have to ensure that our seeds will be planted in the right soil. Whereas, on Yom Kippur, we clip off the poor quality leaves, the aveirot.

The aseret ymei teshuva begins with a focus on the first type of teshuva. It is not about wiping away our aveirot – or even increasing our mitzvot. These are the leaves. Our first, and primary, concern is our roots. A beinoni sets down their roots in two places, they live in two types of soil. In order to be a tzaddik, we must choose the right mindset, the right set of values, the right aspirations in order to plant ourselves, for the year, in the right soil. This is why teshuva can swing the beinoni over to a tzaddik more than any other mitzva. Until the day of Yom Kippur, our teshuva is not external. It is not about what we do. It is about who we are.

The Mishna in Avot³ instructs us “Do not trust in yourself until the day you die.” We are never supposed to consider ourselves perfect tzaddikim in this world. We should never fully relax, rather, we should constantly be on guard that we shouldn’t slip in our spirituality. Yet, the Mishna⁴ also writes “Don’t be a rasha in your eyes.” We should not consider ourselves wicked. These two ideas may appear in conflict with each other; don’t trust your righteousness, yet don’t regard yourself as wicked. In truth, this is the reality of a thinking Jew. To never look down on ourselves while simultaneously not resting on our laurels.

During these Days of Awe, we all gather in shul as one. The righteous, the average and the wicked. In fact, the Hebrew word for congregation is tzibbur which is an acronym for every type of Jew: tzaddik, beinoni and rasha. Wherever we are holding, we stand together in judgment, in atonement and soon, may we stand together in the rebuilt Succa of King David, for Mashiach.