Lamed Vov means "thirty-six." According to Talmudic tradition, there are thirty-six righteous people who carry the weight of mankind and its sorrows. If even one of them should fall, the entire world would collapse. These people are humble, most likely unaware of their own purpose while holding back God's judgment. They are referred to as the lamedvovnik, the Tzadikim Nistarim, or simply the Nistarim, "the Concealed Ones.”