Parshat Shoftim

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Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

Founder & Board Chaiman, JobKatif

 

 

 

In this week’s parsha, as part of the prohibitions of idol worship, the Torah tells us, “You should be tamim with Hashem, your G-d”.

 

What is the meaning of this temimut (wholeheartedness)? This commandment is clearly integral since Avraham was also commanded to “walk before Me and betamim” (Bereishit 17:1). The following verses relate to astrologers and diviners:

 

“You shall be tamim with Hashem, your God. For these nations, that you are to possess, they hearken to astrologers and diviners; but as for you…a prophet from your midst, from your brethren, like me, shall Hashem your G-d establish for you; to him shall you hearken.” (Devarim 18: 13-15)

 

The Ramban (Devarim, 18:13) explains that “tamim” means “complete”, similar to how the sacrifices are described. We learn that we must serve G-d with completion, be connected to Him fully and not look for help in other areas like avodah zarah, magic, the Zodiac or astrology. This opinion shows that everything is in G-d’s hands.

 

Being tamim – wholehearted – with Hashem means that we should unite our hearts with G-d because He alone does everything and that He is the One who knows the future. We shouldn’t believe in the words of the astrologers or anyone else, no matter what they say, because they are false. If we do hear their words, we need to remind ourselves that everything comes from G-d, Who controls the entire world, and can change the solar system thereby nullifying the magicians’ signs. And so we believe that anything that happens is in accordance to how close man comes to G-d. The “tamim” is the person who is complete and believes wholeheartedly, just like the “tamim” sacrifice has no blemish nor does it lack in anything.

 

We know that prophecy exists amongst Am Yisrael. We also seek the future, as the Ramban wrote. This begs the question, what is the difference between seeking the future from a Navi, a Jewish prophet, and from a magician?

 

The Rambam explains that a prophet is not a magician; he doesn’t reveal the future. A prophet is a person who has first-rate human and spiritual traits: he is a talmid chacham, always overcomes his desires and never lets his desires overtake him. He doesn’t involve himself in extraneous things and his mind is always focused on G-d. Ruach HaKodesh (G-s’s Spirit) immediately rests upon him. The prophet is the vessel for G-d’s word.

 

These descriptions are important because many times, man feels unsure about his decisions so he doesn’t decide anything or he will look to other sources to receive guidance or reassurance. But we must remember to always keep a place for G-d in our decisions. My rabbi and teacher, Rav Amital of blessed memory, used to tell us all the time that there is no way to know everything on our own.

 

Many times in our lives, there are things that are never a 100% certainty. If this is the case, how does one make secure decisions about anything? The answer is that G-d intentionally created life this way so that in cases of uncertainty, man will look to Him, and pray to Him for the answers. We are put in confusing positions so that we will turn to Hashem and bring Him into our lives.

 

Not being able to look into the future is not just an issue of not going to magicians and fortune-tellers. The impossibility to tell the future stems from the need to bring G-d into our deliberations and our decision-making process. We need to know that every one of our decisions has only a partial certainty, and we must leave the rest to G-d. We simply have to put in our own efforts along with prayer that G-d will help us and accompany us every step of the way.

 

Shabbat Shalom!