Being wholehearted – Shof’tim
A noteworthy verse in the sidra is Deut. 18:14, Tamim tih’yeh im Hashem Elokecha, “You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God”.
Read just a few weeks before the High Holydays, this verse provides the first ingredient in t’shuvah, repentance. Coming back to God (the root meaning of repentance) means being completely at one with Him. Ambivalence, hovering between belief and unbelief, is confusing and unhelpful. Belief in God means that you are completely with Him.
But, some will say, is this not sheer fantasy? Is there anyone who never has doubts about God, who never questions His government of the universe? Shall we pretend we have no problems with God when all of us do have our moments of unbelief?
The Jewish answer is to be blunt with God and say, “God, You make it hard for me to believe in You sometimes. I cannot help being annoyed with You from time to time. But no matter how hard You provoke me to cease believing in You, You will not succeed. I Intend to believe in You come what may.
“If the fault is mine that I cannot always accept Your will, Your way, Your wisdom, I will honesty try harder. But. God, the fault might be Yours, not mine; maybe You do sometimes make it hard for human beings, and if this is the case I ask You, God, to fulfil the words of L’David Ori, the 27th Psalm, and to be my light and salvation to show me Your way.”
