Orchot Tzaddikim (“Ways of the Righteous”): what it is, authorship and content
Orchot Tzaddikim (ארחות צדיקים), “Ways of the Righteous,” is a book of Jewish ethical teachings. Its author is anonymous. It advocates the cultivation of character and balance in life, and is part of mussar literature.
Quick facts
| Title | Orchot Tzaddikim (“Ways of the Righteous”). Original title: Sefer HaMiddot |
| Author | Anonymous (Lipmann Mühlhausen has been proposed, without certainty) |
| Period and place | Germany, 15th century, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia; others place it in or after the early 14th century |
| First editions | Judeo-German translation, Isny, 1542; Hebrew original, Prague, 1581 |
| Genre | Jewish ethics (mussar) |
The title
The author called it Sefer HaMiddot (“Book of Character Traits”). A later copyist gave it the name Orchot Tzaddikim, and that is the name by which it is known.
Who wrote it?
It is unknown. The Jewish Encyclopedia records the hypothesis of Moritz Güdemann, to whom it seems “very plausible” that it was Lipmann Mühlhausen. Wikipedia adds that Gil Student places the author in or after the early 14th century, perhaps in late-14th-century France or among French exiles, and not in Germany or Spain, and mentions the speculation that it was written by a woman, because of its heavy use of biblical sources, its anonymity and its cooking metaphors. These are hypotheses, not facts.
What the book is like
It closely follows the structure of Solomon ibn Gabirol’s The Improvement of the Moral Qualities and adds teachings from Maimonides and others. The Jewish Encyclopedia describes it as “a code of ethics designed to be very popular,” with a large number of maxims. It also draws on Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaarei Teshuvah and Bachya ibn Paquda’s Chovot HaLevavot: see the guide to Shaarei Teshuvah and that of Chovot HaLevavot. Sefaria sums up its message thus: improve one’s character and keep balance in life.
Chapter 27 criticizes the pilpul method of Talmud study and rebukes those who neglect the Bible and the sciences. Some maxims cited by the source:
- “Forget not the good qualities you lack, and note your faults” (20:4).
- “Be kind to your” non-Jewish “servants” (8:9).
- “It is evil pride to despise others and to regard one’s own opinion as the best” (ch. 1).
Printing
The first printed version was the Judeo-German translation, in Isny in 1542, which omitted the last chapter and other passages. The Hebrew original was printed in Prague in 1581. It was afterward printed frequently in both languages.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Orchot Tzaddikim?
It is unknown. One hypothesis attributes the work to Lipmann Mühlhausen.
What was it called originally?
Sefer HaMiddot; the name Orchot Tzaddikim was given to it by a later copyist.
When was it printed?
In Judeo-German in Isny (1542) and in Hebrew in Prague (1581).
Sources
- Orchot Tzaddikim, reference article (English Wikipedia)
- Jewish Encyclopedia, “Orḥot Ẓaddiḳim”
- Orchot Tzadikim, entry on Sefaria