Lamed Vav Tzaddikim Reveal the Hidden Light

... The light that the Holy One, Blessed be G-d, created on the first day was not that of the sun but a different kind of light, through which Adam could observe from one end of the world to the other. But when the Holy One, Blessed be G-d, saw that this divine light would fall into the hands of people who would misuse it for evil, G-d hid it away for the righteous people (Tzaddikim) in the future who could reveal the light through their luminous nature and righteous actions.

Abaye said: The world has no fewer than thirty-six righteous people (Tzaddikim) in each generation who greet the Divine Presence every day, as it is stated: “Happy are all they that wait for Him [lo]” (Isaiah 30:18)? The numerological value of lo, spelled lamed vav, is thirty-six, alluding to the fact that there are at least thirty-six full-fledged righteous individuals (Tzaddikim) in each generation.

For the mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light...