Editing Rebbe (section)

==== Rebbe as tzadik ====
According to [[Maimonides]],<ref>Tractate Yevamot of the [[Babylonian Talmud]] 49b–50a: "One whose merit surpasses his iniquity is a ''tzadik''". [[Mishneh Torah]], ''Sefer Madda'', Laws of [[repentance in Judaism|Repentance]] 3:1</ref> a tzadik is "one whose merit surpasses [his/her] iniquity", and every person can reach the level of a Tzadik. According to the [[Tanya (Judaism)|Tanya]], a tzadik has no evil inclination, and only a select few predestined to attain this level can attain it. According to [[Kabbalah]] (and particularly the Hasidic understanding of Kabbalah), the world is sustained on the "shoulders" of [[Tzadikim Nistarim]], divinely predestined exceptionally righteous people in a generation. Nobody knows who was such a tzaddik, even one of these exceptionally righteous people would not know that they are such a tzadik. These people are understood to have perfected their service of God to such an extent that they become literally and physically aware of God. These righteous people's perception (of both spiritual and physical, not to mention temporal matters) transcends the apparent boundaries of existence.

However, a Hasidic rebbe is generally said to be a righteous person, called a "[[tzaddik]]".<ref name=" Heilman"/> Furthermore, a rebbe is said to be able to affect divine providence, and a rebbe is said to be able to "see the future", or at least have strong insight into the life and trials of another.

As a result, Hasidim in some Hasidic circles seek their rebbe's advice for a variety of concerns: spiritual, physical, and even business concerns. Furthermore, many people seek the blessing ''([[Berakhah|bracha]])'' of a rebbe (and a Hasid will specifically seek the blessing of his rebbe) for anything, from minor (and all the more so major) physical troubles, to grand spiritual concerns.