Rabbi Zadok

Rabbi Zadok (also: Tsadoq; Hebrew: צדוק Righteous; * after 30 BC; † after 70 AD) was a Jewish scholar of antiquity and one of the oldest Tannaim of the first generation.

Zadok was of priestly descent and belonged to schammaitischen school. He was very old and was still alive at the time of the destruction of the temple; he is told that he had been fasting for 40 years prior to this national disaster day by day, so as to avert the destruction of the sanctuary. He became so weakened that, in order to prevent his death, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai Emperor Vespasian had asked, he would send a doctor to save Zadok ( bGitt. 56 b; ECHA Rabbati I., 31).

Zadok recovered and was one - highly honored - in the following years to the academy in Yavneh; him and with him his brothers were of Gamaliel II places of honor given to the right of Nassi ( Chairman ) ( jSanh. I, 4).

His son, grandson and great-grandchildren were also Tannaim; because his grandson, also named Zadok, traditions are the two separate historically not always clean; Theorems in the fathers sayings ( IV, 7 ) are assigned partly Hillel, partly Jehuda ben Tabbai.

Regarding Zadok fasting there is a Yiddish proverb that goes: He look like, wi a grojgeress d' rabi Zudojk.