Parashat Shoftim 5786
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Among many people, a tamim – a “simple” or “naive” person – is considered someone who is easily deceived, who believes everything he hears and does not exercise sound judgment. Yet in the language of the Torah, the word has an entirely different meaning. Tamim expresses wholeness and completeness.
The sacrifice offered in the Temple had to be tamim – whole and without blemish. Jacob our forefather, the chosen of the Patriarchs, is also described as an ish tam – a “wholehearted man,” an expression denoting a person who is complete, upright, and free of moral defect. In Judaism, then, being tamim is not a shortcoming, but a great virtue.
This idea is expressed in one of the central verses of this week’s Torah portion, a verse that conveys a profound principle of Jewish faith.
The Torah describes practices that were widespread in the ancient world: turning to sorcerers, magicians, diviners, and those who claim to communicate with the dead, in the belief that they could reveal the future or control hidden forces. Many people were drawn to these phenomena because they appeared to possess power and influence. Yet the Torah unequivocally rejects them. It teaches that human beings do not possess an independent power to change reality through mysterious forces, and that such practices are not a genuine source of knowledge or control.
Our Sages extended this prohibition to superstitions that developed over the generations. Often, even educated and intelligent people adopt baseless practices: a “lucky” shirt, a sequence of actions believed to bring success, and the like. It is interesting to see that even those who do not believe in the Creator at all may cling to such beliefs. As one thinker put it: “There is no person who does not believe in something.” The question is whether one chooses to believe in a truth that is stable and grounded, or in beliefs that have no real foundation.
Indeed, after the Torah lists all these forms of sorcery and divination, it concludes with a short, clear, and unequivocal statement:
“You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.”
(Deuteronomy 18:13)
Rashi explains this as a fundamental principle of faith:
“Walk with Him wholeheartedly and look forward to Him, and do not investigate the future. Rather, whatever happens to you, accept wholeheartedly, and then you will be with Him and share in His portion.”
At first glance, one might think that the wholeheartedness of which the Torah speaks is the same kind of naivety that the world tends to disparage – as the common saying goes, “A fool believes everything.” It might seem as though the Torah is asking a person not to question, not to investigate, but simply to accept everything. For this reason, throughout the generations there have been those who have portrayed believers as ignorant and unintelligent people who blindly do whatever they are told without thinking.
But this is not the meaning at all. The wholeheartedness of which the Torah speaks is inner wholeness and confidence in one’s path. A complete person is not swept away by every new idea and is not impressed by every passing belief. Once a person has established for himself that there is a Creator of the world, that He guides reality, gave us the Torah, and watches over every detail, he has no need to seek other sources of security or success. He finds stability in a steadfast path that does not change with the spirit of the times.
One of the foundations that distinguishes Jewish faith is its emphasis on learning, inquiry, and understanding. Throughout the generations, an enormous body of literature has developed seeking to explain the foundations of faith, the reasons behind the commandments, and their meaning – from the simple interpretation of Scripture to the worlds of Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah, and esoteric thought. A person need only ask questions and delve deeper, and ultimately he will find an answer to everything.
Superstitions, by contrast, generally rest on habit, fear, or popular tradition, without any clear foundation. A person who needs amulets, lucky signs, or various rituals in order to feel secure is, in fact, revealing a lack of inner security. The truly whole person finds his security in his faith in the Creator of the world, and as a result, his heart is more at peace.
This idea is also expressed by the great Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:
“The principle is that the way of the Creator, blessed be He, is to do good, and especially toward Israel, His close and beloved people, who are called children of God. Surely, a father fulfills his child’s needs and desires before the child even has to ask. And a person who has such faith in the Creator will certainly have his needs fulfilled. This is the meaning hinted at in the words, ‘You shall be wholehearted with the Lord’: when you attain a state of wholeness, when you have faith in the Creator, blessed be He, that He will certainly fulfill your needs, then you will know that you are indeed ‘with the Lord your God’ – that surely, the Lord is with you.”
(Kedushat Levi, Parashat Shoftim)
His words illuminate a profound principle: the greater a person’s wholeheartedness, the closer his relationship with God becomes. A person who believes with a full heart merits, in Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s words, that God accompanies him and bestows His goodness upon him.
It thus becomes clear that being a “wholehearted Jew” is a title of honor. It describes a person who has found a stable and clear path and is not shaken by every passing idea or changing spiritual trend. Precisely this wholeheartedness – in its deeper sense of wholeness – creates a close bond with the Creator and gives a person stability throughout his life. From a broader perspective, it often becomes clear that the person who does not chase after every novelty, but remains faithful to the path he has carefully chosen for himself, is the one who ultimately goes farther than all those who pride themselves on being sophisticated.
Yet we should not forget the words of Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz:
“Wholeheartedness is greater than wisdom, but great wisdom is required of a Jew before he reaches the level of ‘You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.’”
