The letter TZADI(often called tzadik) is the symbol of righteousness, faith and humility. There are two forms of the letter: the bent form which is used at the beginning or in the middle of a word, and the upright form used at the end of a word. A TZADIK is a very special kind of person who has great faith and very intimate contact with God. His deep faith and knowledge of God is received "directly from the mouth of God", his whole life is dedicated to revealing this knowledge and love to others. He is like a palm tree which flowers and brings fruit. He gathers the fallen sparks of divine consciousness and elevates them to God. He opens the 50 gates of understanding for God's chosen people, so that each person is enabled through his help, according to his or her own special need, to understand the wonders of Divine Love. In the Hebrew alef-beit each letter is 'paired' with one of the other letters, according to its form and significance. TZADIK is the 'mate' of ALEF, the letter which symbolises God. So the tzadik is chosen to be the future companion of the Messiah, helping to actualise all the potential of the created Universe. In other words, the tzadik is chosen by God and freely accepts to submit himself in total humility to be His instrument in bringing about the salvation of all humanity, by the revelation of His Love and teaching through His chosen people. The numerical value of the letter tzadi is ninety, which represents "total consciousness' in Kabbalah. Sarah, mother of Isaac, and thus the first mother of Israel, was ninety years old when she gave birth to her son. Her deep consciousness of God is associated with her laughter 'within herself', the child within her womb being the result of God's promise. In the painting the bent TZADIK shows Sarah, pregnant with Isaac. Sarah and her age of ninety years is associated with the ninety "amens" that the tzadik says daily, expressing his simple faith and deep awareness of truth. In forming the letter TZADIK, the letter YUD is enwedged in the upper right of the letter NUN. YUD represents the creative lifeforce which actualises the potential in the bent-over letter NUN, the symbol of every created being. (The relationship of YUD and NUN is like that of form and matter in all created reality: YUD gives the form to matter, NUN.) The tzadik is in such intimate union with God, that he is able to shape reality according to his will. The emanation of God's Power is represented in the painting by the streams of light flowing from ALEF to the TZADIK. The little sparks in the dark circles are the sparks of divine consciousness gathered by the tzadik and taken up to God, i.e., the tzadik fulfils both the function of bringing down divine revelation and taking up all our prayers to God.