Being Tamim With God

Parshat Shoftim

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Two things have dominated the news in recent weeks. Charlottesville, VA and the Solar Eclipse that crossed the United States, with the Umbra spanning 16 states.

To me, the two news stories each serve a different reminder to us. Charlottesville showed us that there are despicable people, even in the United States, who are guided by a hateful ideology. And with the exception of war, which is a different category of violence focused on eradicating evil, violence in an otherwise peaceful commonwealth is not the way US citizens are meant to resolve their differences.

The eclipse, to me, shows that God put together a universe with wisdom and allowed for things to happen and align, even in the vastness and infinity of outer space, that serve as a steady reminder that He is there.

Both of these reminders are embodied in one of the more fascinating verses to grace our Torah portion this week. “Tamim Tihyeh im Hashem Elokekha.” Be complete with the Lord your God.

There is a debate as to whether this statement is a mitzvah. Nachmanides felt it is while Maimonides felt it is not. Regardless, it seems to be an important instruction as to how we are to go about our lives.

Let’s look at three examples of how to do this.

Targum Yonatan describes being “Tamim” as being complete in one’s fear of God. Perhaps adding King Solomon’s “know Him in all your ways” (Mishlei 3:6) would further support this approach. R Yosef B’khor Shor describes being Tamim as being simple, of simple needs. Have the attitude of the verse in Divrei hayamim I 19:13 – "God does what is good in His eyes," which is a good formula for not complaining about the ways of God.

The Sifrei takes a novel approach on the verse saying “When you are Tam (innocent) your portion is with Hashem your God.” Being “with God” is the reward for being Tamim.

The first person in the Torah who is described as being Tamim is Noach. Perhaps he embodies the lessons learned from the news this week, in his demonstration of how Temimut – being “perfect” or “complete” or “innocent” is the way to embody and appreciate those reminders. He understood that “what God gives you you take.” He did not ask for the evil to be spared. He accepted what God was doing as God’s will. Avraham, the next person to be called Tamim, also did not defend evil. He asked God to spare the cities from being destroyed, but said nothing about God not eliminating the evil people.

Noach dealt with difficult people. He knew what was coming. He was aware of his assignment – though perhaps he did not originally know exactly which people would be coming on the Ark with him. But he knew there were evil people, and that their approaches to life and living were not satisfactory to God.

And Noach contemplated the cosmos and he saw God. For him, the sign was the rainbow – not an eclipse – but even the rainbow teaches another important lesson about humanity.

It shows how different colors can exist in harmony and create a sight which is beautiful to behold. Anyone who believes in a God Who is a Father to all must understand that the challenges humans face in creating goodness can easily be reconciled if we embrace the rainbow of humanity as God’s children.

Evil is the antithesis of this. Violence is the embodiment of evil acted out in real time.

Just as stealthily and as beautifully as the moon aligned between the earth and the sun to create the eclipse, we have the opportunity to put ourselves in a position to promote goodness and decency and Godliness through being positive and caring of others.

Through being Tamim, we will merit to be with God. Isn’t that something worth striving for?