Becoming Whole-y (Parshas Shoftim)

(י) לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ וּמְכַשֵּׁף. (יא) וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר וְשֹׁאֵל אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי וְדֹרֵשׁ אֶל הַמֵּתִים. (יב) כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה וּבִגְלַל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מוֹרִישׁ אוֹתָם מִפָּנֶיךָ. (יג) תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם ה אֱלֹקיךָ.

(10) There shall not be found among you anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire, a soothsayer, a diviner of [auspicious] times, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,(11) or a charmer, a pithom sorcerer, a yido'a sorcerer, or a necromancer. (12) For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord, your God is driving them out from before you. (13) Be wholehearted/perfect with the Lord, your God.

(א) תמים ת' גדולה שאם תלך בתמימות כאילו קיימת מאל''ף ועד תי''ו:

There is a large letter "Taf", since if one goes wholeheartedly it is as if he has kept [the entire torah] from Aleph to Taf.

(ט) אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹקים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃

(9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, wholehearted/ Perfect in his generation; Noah walked with God.

(כז) וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים׃

(27) And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a wholehearted/perfect man, dwelling in tents.

(א) וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃

(1) And when Avraham was ninety nine years old, Hashem appeared to Avraham, and said to him: ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be wholehearted/perfect.

(טו) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹקים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם שָׂרַ֣י אִשְׁתְּךָ֔ לֹא־תִקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ שָׂרָ֑י כִּ֥י שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ׃ (טז) וּבֵרַכְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔הּ וְגַ֨ם נָתַ֧תִּי מִמֶּ֛נָּה לְךָ֖ בֵּ֑ן וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֙יהָ֙ וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה לְגוֹיִ֔ם מַלְכֵ֥י עַמִּ֖ים מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃ (יז) וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָֽה־שָׁנָה֙ יִוָּלֵ֔ד וְאִ֨ם־שָׂרָ֔ה הֲבַת־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תֵּלֵֽד׃ (יט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקים אֲבָל֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֗ יֹלֶ֤דֶת לְךָ֙ בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥אתָ אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ יִצְחָ֑ק וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֥י אִתּ֛וֹ לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם לְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו׃

(15) And G-d said to Avraham "[As for] Sarai your wife, do not call her by the name Sarai (שרי), for Sarah (שרה) is her name. (16) I will bless her, and I will also give you a son through her. I will bless her, and she will be [a mother] of nations, kings of peoples will descend from her." (17) Avraham fell on his face and laughed (Unkelus: “laughed” = Chadi / חדי). He said in his heart: "Can a hundred year old man have children? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old give birth?" (19) G-d said: "Indeed, your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Yitzchok. I will establish My covenant with him as an eternal covenant to his descendants after him.

(ט) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵׅלָׅ֔יׅוׅ אַיֵּ֖ה שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥ה בָאֹֽהֶל׃ (י) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (יא) וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ זְקֵנִ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃ (יב) וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃ (יד) הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵה דָּבָ֑ר לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן׃ (טו) וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה׀ לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י׀ יָרֵ֑אָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר׀ לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ׃

(9) They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said "Here, in the tent." (10) He said "I will return to you next year, and Sarah, your wife will have a son." Sarah was listening at the door of the tent, that was behind him. (11) Avraham and Sarah were old, well on in years. Sarah no longer had the way of women. (12) Sarah laughed to herself (Unkelus: “laughed” = Chayech) saying, "Now that I have withered, I shall again have delicate skin? And my husband is old.” (13) G-d said to Avraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Can I really give birth when I am old?' (14) Is anything hidden from G-d? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time of life, and Sarah will have a son." (15) Sarah denied it saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "Not so, for you did laugh."

(ב) וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (ג) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙ אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י עֹלָ֔ה וַיָּ֣קָם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָֽמַר־ל֥וֹ הָאֱלֹקים׃

(2) And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you."(3) And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

(א) "וישכם" - נזדרז למצוה (פסחים ד) (ב) "ויחבש" - הוא בעצמו ולא צוה לאחד מעבדיו שהאהבה מקלקלת השורה

"And…arose early:" He hastened to [perform] the commandment (Pes. 4a).

"He Saddled": He himself, and he did not command one of his servants, because love causes a disregard for the standard [of dignified conduct]. — [from Gen. Rabbah 55:8]

(ה) ... תמתי, בסיני, שנתממו עמי בסיני ואמרו: (שמות כד, ז): כל אשר דבר ה' נעשה ונשמע. ...

(Hashem called the Jewish people "complete") referring to Sinai, where they said "All that Hashem will say, we will do and we will listen."

(א) "תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך" - התהלך עמו בתמימות ותצפה לו ולא תחקור אחר העתידות אלא כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו

Be wholehearted with the Lord, your God: Conduct yourself with Him with perfection and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with [unadulterated] simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion. — [Sifrei]

(כא) רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב אִישׁ וַעֲצַת ה הִיא תָקוּם.

(21) There are many thoughts in a man’s heart; But the counsel of the Hashem that shall stand.

(ח) תּוֹרַת ה תְּמִימָה מְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ עֵדוּת ה נֶאֱמָנָה מַחְכִּימַת פֶּתִי.

(8) The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of Hashem is sure, making wise the simple. .

Haggadah:
The Torah spoke regarding four sons. One wise, one wicked, one simple, and one that does not know how to ask...