Yeshivish Rockstar, I really like you.
But here what you’re saying isn’t correct. The belief that a tzadik has power in this world is not just a Chabad concept, but rather a concept in general Chassidus…
I quote from the Parshas Naso edition (5779) of “Di Yiddishe Tzeit” a Satmar newspaper, from an interview with Kavod Kadushas ADMO”R from Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok, in which he quotes his teacher, HaRebbe Hakadosh Rebbi Yehuda Horowitz ZT”L of Dzhikov:
“The Rebbe Shlit”a explained, That he would hear often from him (HaRebbe of Dzhikov), that for tzadikim the strength is given from Shomayim to run the world how they desire it to be run, they hold the world in their hands….” It continues with a story about the Tzemach Tzadik (not to be confused with the Tzemach Tzedek) which serves to show how, and I quote, “that the Tzemach Tzadik runs the entire world with his holy hands…”
Are both the ADMO”R of Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok and HaRebbe Hakadosh of Dzhikov both espousing “pure avodah zarah” also? Or could it be you don’t have the cornerstone on Torah truth?
And before you claim that this is only talking about a Tzadik before they are nistalek, I’ll save myself the trouble of writing a rebuttal: The Lubavitcher Rebbe ZY”A wrote this about the Previous Rebbe N”E after his histalkus.
Hashem gives certain influences and energies to the world based on how Bnei Yisroel act, (this is described in in Nefesh HaChaim from Rebbi Chaim Vitebsker ZTZ”AL as how “pure” (tatztzuchei haOr) the light Hashem gives to the world is) a Tzadik directs and effects how Bnei Yisroel act (and even more so, can be described as something of a microcosom of Bnei Yisroel themselves) and therefore, how the Tzadik acts affects how Hashem chooses to relate to this world. Obviously this is always in a way that is like an ax in the hand of the cutter. AKA that the Tzadik is only a tool of Hashem.