A Person Can Do Things Very Wrong, And Yet Be an Official Tzaddik
The Mishna in Sotah speaks about Midda K'neged Midda (that a person is repaid exactly the same as his actions) and since Shimshon “followed after his eyes” (i.e., the desire of his eyes), therefore the Pelishtim blinded his eyes. He had just married his Pelishti wife, Delila, and she found out the truth of his strength which came from his hair; as soon as his hair would be cut off, his strength would be gone. Although he had given her many fake reasons for his strength, this time she knew that he was saying the truth, since he said: נְּז ירֶּ אֱלֹק ֶּיםֶּאֲנ יֶֶּּשופטיםֶּטזֶּיז I am a Nazir of “Hashem”, and: יָדְּ עָהֶּבְּאוֹתוֶֹּצַד יקֶּדְּלָאֶּמַפ יקֶֶּּ שֵּםֶּשָמַי םֶּלְּבַטָלָהֶֶּּסוטהֶּ טֶּ ב “this Tzadik” wouldn’t just say Hashem’s name in vain.
R' Tzadok points out that even though our Mishna is using Shimshon as an example of Midda K'neged Midda, and since he went after his eyes by marrying these gentile women therefore he was blinded, Rachana Litzlan, and the Gemara is describing his fatal error with Delila, yet he is called at that point: אוֹתוֶֹּ צַד יקֶּ “that Tzadik”. We wouldn’t look at such a person, who is actually an example of the lowest Chata’im (sins) as: “that Tzadik”. Of course, we have no understanding of a Shofet Yisroel like Shimshon; but it still is a major Chizuk how a person can do things very wrong, and yet be an official Tzaddik. (Don’t look for trouble!)
There is a story in the Gemara about R' Chiya bar Ashi who used to constantly daven: הָרַחֲמָןֶּיַצ ילֵּנ יֶּמ יֵּצ רֶּהָרָעֶּ “Hashem, please save me from the Yetzer Hara!”; yet, he was still Nichshal in what he thought was a horrible sin (but really it wasn’t). However, since his intention was to sin, he fasted every single day, for the rest of his life. The Gemara says: כָלֶּ יָמָיוֶּש לֶּאוֹתוֶֹּצַד יקֶּהָיָהֶּמ צְּטַעֵּר “for the rest of his life, “this Tzadik” was distraught”. Look how he is called a Tzadik by Chazal, even though he committed a very big sin, and he was without control, Rachana Litzlan.
How can Chazal call him: "אוֹתוֹ צַד יק"? We see how despite a person’s worst Aveiros, he can still be considered a big Tzaddik (and I would say since he is always working on his weaknesses). ש בַע י פוֹל צַד יק וָקָם משלי כד טז A Tzaddik falls seven times, and gets up! Seven is a number that represents a large quantity, and a number of Shleimus (totality), like a whole week (Maharal). We see that falling in Avodas Hashem is absolutely normal, and even a numerous occurrence of: נְֶּּפ ֶּילוֹת failures, and a Shleimus of: נְֶּּפ ֶּילוֹת failures, still does not take away his Shtempel (label) of a “Tzaddik”.
