 His followers were to sustain and especially to obey him, as he possessed superior knowledge and insight gained through communion.The "descent of the Righteous" ("Yeridat ha-Tzaddiq") into the matters of the world was depicted as identical with the need to save the sinners and redeem the sparks concealed in the most lowly places.Such a link between his functions as communal leader and spiritual guide legitimized the political power he wielded.