What makes one a Zaddik (Righteous) ?

B"H

Not only that I am unable to make up my mind about joining a chassidic group; but even if so, which one would be on the top of my list ?

As I have mentioned before, I am not a group person at all. I don't run with the crowd but always keep my own opinions and ideas.
All the years being among Chassidim, I could not say which Chassidut I prefer and which one I cannot stand. It is quite obvious that the Chassidim from different groups have their particular mentality and behaviour. This I cannot explain too well to an outsider but after a while, you simply notice the differences. I give you Chassidut Belz as an example, and hope not to offend the Belzer now. However, Belz is a great example.

Other Chassidim say the following about Belz:
The Belzer are only into their money. That's important to them.

When you go to the Tish of the Belzer Rebbe in Kiryat Belz / Jerusalem, you see hundreds of Chassidim serving Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach anxiously. Once I arrived a little early and the Rebbe hadn't entered the hall yet. Chassidim were walking up and down, talking, whatever. Suddenly someone announce that the Rebbe is coming and then you should have seen the Chassidim running to their places. It was worse than when a general is coming to visit an army unit. I have never seen this before.
On Shabbat, the Belzer Chassidim all wear their best. The black shoes are shining like brandnew. However, if you only know them from the Tish, you notice a certain way of behaviour and even a special way of walking. One might call it elegant but others call it arrogant. There is a certain mentality among them I simply cannot explain. You have to see it yourself. Nevertheless, if you know Belzer Chassidim a little better and on a more personal basis, you very often get a completely different impression.
So far, I only have positive experiences with Belz but I do still notice this particular kind of behaviour when I go Tishing.

A few weeks ago I told a Chassid (NOT Belz) that acquaintances of mine want to join a certain chassidic group because they love the Rebbe. The Chassid smiled and said: "So, what if the Rebbe dies and if they don't like the successor ? What then ? They switch again ?"

These are exactly some of my reasons why I wouldn't join a chassidic group although I am very attached to Chassidut. But taking over a certain group behaviour, loving only one Rebbe and accepting only his ideas and Halachot (Psak Halacha) is just not for me. One of my biggest problems is seeing a chassidic Rebbe, it doesn't matter from which group, as a Zaddik (a righteous). I do agree with the Baal Shem Tov about the Zaddik concept. However, Rabbi Elimelech of Lejansk (in his book "Noam Elimelech") is already far beyond my Zaddik understanding. It was Rabbi Elimelech of Lejansk (1717 - 1786) who extended the original Zaddik concept and said among many other things: "When the Zaddik does great things he clothes himself into Ruach HaKodesh (a kind of Holy Spirit)".

Especially the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz (1745 - 1815), added more aspects to the Zaddik concept. I am not listing all his ideas and teachings at this point, as it is a vast subject, but only mention a few.

According to the Chozeh, the Zaddik is higher than any ordinary Jew (Am HaAretz). It is the Zaddik's prayer which could bring Meschiach and the Zaddik elevates our material world to the higher spiritual worlds. The Peshis'cha movement with Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Przysucha (Yiddish: Peshis'cha) didn't agree to that concept. Instead the Rabbi of Przysucha (1765 - 1814) claimed that a Zaddik (a Rebbe) should rather help everybody else becoming a Zaddik and not separating himself or considering himself as too special.

When I look at the historical background and look at chassidic Rebbes today, I am not sure if all the concepts don't rather sound too exaggerated. Maybe I am sounding like a Litvak now but I cannot help it. First of all, I always have the Chabad concept of a Zaddik in mind. When I am saying Chabad, I mean Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and not all the Meschiach mess today.

In his "Book of TANYA", Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi considers the Zaddik as a person who has totally overcome his Yetzer HaRah (negative side in oneself). A concept, I personally like very much.
Although there are many different ideas about how a Zaddik should be, I am asking myself if all the so - called Zaddikim today, hence the Rebbes of chassidic dynasties, are all real Zaddikim and have overcome their Yetzer.

I am rather conservative and dare to claim that real true Zaddikim are extremely rare. Things are simply not the same anymore as they used to be hundreds or thousands of years ago. And I don't agree calling any chassidic Rebbe today a Zaddik. To me, a Zaddik must be an extraordinary person and shouldn't be only Rebbe and therefore called Zaddik. Not everyone inheriting his Rebbe position must be necessarily a Zaddik.

People familiar with the writings of Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel of Apta (1748 - 1825) and his book "Ohev Israel" probably know that the Apter Rebbe said that a Zaddik didn't choose his position by himself but was placed into it from Heaven.
But what about all the chassidic Rebbes ? Were they really placed into their position from Heaven ? In a way YES, as nothing happens in this world without G - d.

In other words, I don't see all the present or even some former chassidic Rebbes necessarily as Zaddikim. Many of them might do great things but doing good deeds and keeping Mitzwot doesn't turn one into the greatest Zaddik. Although Rabbi Nachman of Breslov saw himself as the "Zaddik HaDor - The Righteous of his Generation", he also taught that in a way, everybody has the ability of becoming a Zaddik himself.

To me a chassidic Rebbe is more an authority who I do respect. He can be a great person and very knowledgeable but nothing beyond it. A great person with lots of charisma, that's it. Would this be so bad ? Why should he automatically be a Zaddik ?

I could not cling to a Rebbe or agree to everything he decides. There are also other opinions and people. And as the Chassid I spoke to said: "What if Rebbe dies and I don't like his successor ?"

Sometimes at the chassidic Tishes I am really asking myself where G – d is. Everybody around me says "The Rebbe, the Rebbe, the Rebbe", and everyone, myself included, looks at the Rebbe.
Nevertheless, shouldn't we think of G – d as THE most important one and not the Rebbe ? At the Tishes one might get the impression that there is only a Rebbe and no one else.

There are times when someone like me is better far off by not making a final decision and, instead, remaining an outsider. I couldn't make anything final but admire people who can.