In this deeply structured shiur on Tzidkas HaTzaddik, Os Zayin, we explore the four categories of zman Kriyas Shema—oni, bnei adam,, erev Shabbos (preparers), and kohanim—as stages of Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim. Rav Tzadok reveals how each archetype models a different mode of identity formation and submission to Hashem’s will.

“The most rational thing to do, when I know I don’t have the capability to understand, is to trust the one who does.”

“Different types of avodah are appropriate for different people—or even for the same person at different times.”

"We can convince ourselves we’re ready—but if we’re not holding there, it’s not the avodah that will help us grow.”

“Kabbalas Ohl is what defines our attachment to life.”

In this powerful shiur on Tzidkas HaTzaddik Piece 6, we unpack the Gemara’s five-part sequence toward Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim with completeness: cleansing the self, washing the hands- it’s a ladder of transformation.

We begin by removing external distractions and internal desires, but the journey continues as we immerse in Torah as reality — not as information, but as the very blueprint of existence. Tefillin becomes a declaration of total loyalty. Krias Shema reframes our identity. And tefillah emerges not just as request, but as a direct encounter with the Divine.

By the end, we don’t just serve a king — we stand before One. This shiur builds the inner world that makes “Baruch Atah” real.

Rav Tzadok teaches that Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim is not simply a ritual or commitment — it is a recognition of ontological truth. Torah is not a set of optional ideals; it is the structure of reality, and our job is to align our consciousness with it as the default.

This shiur explores why Shema by day is part of a structured, process-driven world — where orientation once enables ongoing action — while Shema by night reflects a world of fragmentation and ambiguity, where orientation must be repeated moment by moment. From here, Rav Tzadok reveals a deep insight: true avodah is born not in clarity, but in darkness — and our greatness lies in choosing Torah as the lens even when reality feels disjointed.