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Lamed Vov-niksLamed vov-niks is a Yiddish phrase describing the 36 tzaddikim or righteous persons in the world who receive the Shekhinah or the Divine Presence. A tradition in Jewish lore - dating to the Babylonian Talmud (the first half of the third century B.C.E.) is that the entire world rests on the merits of 36 anonymous righteous persons living in each generation. These hidden saints, called in Yiddish, Lamed vov-niks, first appear in the 16th - 17th century literature and in Hasidic lore from the 18th century. They go unnoticed by other people due to their self-effacing, humble nature. In times of peril however, the lamed vov-niks make a dramatic appearance, using reserves of faith and strength to defeat the enemies of Israel. The number 36 has become renowned in the Midrash, the kabbalah, and folkloric legends. These tzadikim (righteous people) total 36, or two times chai, the symbolic number 18, meaning life. External Link *Todd Weinstein: Photographer, New York City
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