''Tzidkatcha'' (צדקתך, "Your righteousness") is a prayer consisting of group of three verses that is recited during the afternoon prayer on '' Shabbat''. It is said in memory of three righteous individuals who died on ''Shabbat'':

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, Moses and King David. It is recited at this prayer in particular because these individuals died in the afternoon.

Prayer content and meaning

The three verses are: Psalms 119:142, 71:19 and 36:7. They are recited in this order by the Ashkenazic rite and Italian rite, while Sephardi tradition,

Nusach Sefard Nusach Sefard, Nusach Sepharad, or Nusach Sfard is the name for various forms of the Jewish ''siddurim'', designed to reconcile Ashkenazi customs ( he, מנהג "Custom", pl. ''minhagim'') with the kabbalistic customs of Isaac Luria. To this end ...

Yemenite Jews Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ''Yehudei Teman''; ar, اليهود اليمنيون) are those Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Is ...

, Nusach Romania, Nusach Provence and Nusach Catalonia recite them in the opposite order, as they appear in Psalms. The ''

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

'' asserts that Moses did not die in the afternoon of '' Shabbat'' but of Friday; however, he wasn't buried until ''Shabbat'' afternoon. Some say that the recital of this is to recall just judgement because it is immediately after ''Shabbat'' that sinners return to

Gehinom The Valley of Hinnom ( he, , lit=Valley of the son of Hinnom, translit=Gēʾ ḇen-Hīnnōm) is a historic valley surrounding Ancient Jerusalem from the west and southwest. The valley is also known by the name Gehinnom ( ''Gēʾ-Hīnnōm'', ...

. The recitation of these verses represents our acceptance of God's judgment, referred to as '' Tziduk HaDin'' (צידוק הדין, "the righteousness of God's judgement"). It expresses the conviction that God is just in his actions, even when they are seemingly negative in human eyes. Because the time for afternoon prayers on ''Shabbat'' is near the closing of the day, the saddened atmosphere makes it appropriate for this prayer to be said. On days on which

Tachanun ''Tachanun'' or ''Taḥanun'' ( he, תחנון "Supplication"), also called ''nefilat apayim'' ( he, נפילת אפיים "falling on the face"), is part of Judaism's morning (''Shacharit'') and afternoon (''Mincha'') services, after the recitati ...

would be omitted had it been a weekday, ''Tzidkatcha'' is omitted on ''Shabbat'', as the added happiness of the day negates these feelings of sorrow. Because of the somber mood that is hinted to by this prayer, there is a related custom of not wishing the standard ''Shabbat'' greeting after the

Mincha Mincha ( he, מִנחַה, pronounced as ; sometimes spelled ''Minchah'' or ''Minḥa'') is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. Etymology The name ''Mincha'', meaning "present", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacri ...

prayer.

Eliyahu Kitov Avraham Eliyahu Mokotow (22 March 1912 – 7 February 1976), better known as Eliyahu Kitov, was a Haredi rabbi, educator, and community activist. Biography His younger years were spent in the town of Opole Lubelskie, where he learned in a ''cheder ...

, ''Sefer haTodaa'', The Book of our Heritage

References

{{Jewish prayers Shabbat prayers Mincha Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings