B"H
Monday, Menachem Av 27, 5780 / August 17, 2020
One of the instructions and mitzvot in this week’s Parsha, Shoftim, is in the following verse which consists of five words, “Tamim Tihyeh Im Hashem El-Ohecha” – “Be Tamim with G-d your G-d” (Chapter 18, verse 13).
The word “Tamim,” can be translated as complete, whole, or perfect. It can also be translated as simple, like the third son in the Hagadah, the “Tam,” which means the “simpleton.”
Here are various explanations for this “simple” and “perfect” verse:
The famous Torah commentator, Rashi, explains it to mean “simple.” He explains it as follows, “Walk with Him simple-heartily and look forward to what He has in store for you. Do not probe the future, but rather accept whatever happens to you simple-heartedly, then you will be with Him and His inheritance.”
According to Rashi, the Torah tells us, “You shall be TAMIM with G-d your G-d,” - you shall be simple; you shall not question G-d, but accept everything with faith. If you act this way, explains Rashi, you will always be connected with G-d.
Others explain the verse to mean that a person should be “complete, whole” with G-d.
How does a person accomplish being “complete’ with G-d? The mitzvot are compared to a person’s body. The 613 mitzvot represent the 613 parts of a person’s body. When a person keeps all the mitzvot, then they are whole (Tamim). Just as a body is whole and complete only when everything functions properly, so too, keeping all the mitzvot makes a person whole and complete spiritually.
Another explanation: “Be Tamim with G-d your G-d,” is that a person should be “complete with G-d,” even when you are ONLY with G-d! This means even when no one sees or will never know what you did. The Torah tells us, “Be complete [even when you are only] with G-d your G-d.”
Another wonderful explanation is, “You will be complete (“Tamim”), when you are with G-d your G-d.” The Torah tells us that being connected to G-d and observing His mitzvot makes us complete and perfect.
Another explanation: There is a verse which says, “Torat Hashem Temimah” - “The Torah of G-d is complete.” The Torah is called “Temimah,” and the Jewish people are commanded to be “Tamim” (“complete”).
A Torah scroll is not complete if even one letter is missing in it. A Torah has over 300,000 letters, yet, each letter affects and is affected by every other letter. One missing letter makes the entire Torah not readable!
The same is with the Jewish people. Every Jew is like a letter in the Torah, which affects everyone. Every mitzvah we perform affects not only the one who performs the mitzvah, but the entire Jewish nation.
The Torah tells us, “Be complete with G-d!” Your individual actions affect everyone and complete the Jewish chain. “Be complete” – do your part, for if even one link is broken, the entire Jewish chain is incomplete.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY