The categories of people

There are a number of very useful categories mentioned in Judaism and Jewish mysticism.

One of the most profound is from the Tanya:

1. Complete Tzaddik, righteous / good

2. incomplete Tzaddik

3. Incompletely wicked

4. completely wicked

5. In-Between

In this category all people will fall.

The first, is someone who not only does good, but is repulsed by evil (there is maybe one or two in a generation.)

The second (may have thousands in a generation) who does good, but still can envision evil.

The third is the average person who tries to do good.

The fourth is the psychopath (who has no remorse.)

The fifth, is where we need to strive, namely, not necessarily to abhor evil, but to at least be concoius of our thoughts, speech and actions, and when we can, try to fix them.

Now in these categories themselves, specifically the fifth, there are two:

One person, who is a comfortable plateau – good, but not adding.

The ideal fifth person, is both good, yet continually adds!

This idea of continually adding, in a certain sense, is the ideal person.

No one can be judged on what they have done, rather, on what they are doing – hence in a single moment, if I resolve to be good (and God can see the strength of my resolution) then I am one hundred percent good! – however, the person who truly seeks the Divine path, realizes, that there is no beginning and hence no end! – for we all can continually grow.