Are You a Perfectionist?
Parashat Shoftim, Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9
Dr. Vered Hillel, Netanya, Israel
I am a perfectionist! For as long as I can remember, I have been a perfectionist with a passionate love of God. Together, these two characteristics have helped me be a healthy perfectionist, which is a person who has high standards and good organizational skills, is persistent, and adheres to a set of goals that energizes them but does not make them feel overwhelmed or paralyzed.
The Bible calls us to be perfectionists. Its understanding of perfectionism, however, is quite different from that of the world in which we live. In the Bible, a perfectionist is one who walks blamelessly or wholeheartedly before Hashem, or who is whole, complete, or perfect (Gen 17:1; Josh 24:14; Psa 18:23, 26; Matt 5:48; Rom 12:2; and so forth). The command to be “perfect” is buried among the responsibilities for civil and religious authorities in this week’s parasha, “You must be tamim (perfect, blameless, wholehearted, completely loyal) before Adonai your God” (Deut 18:13). The key, then, to understanding the biblical view of perfection is the word tamim. Let’s take a brief look at various uses of this word in the Tanakh.
We are probably most familiar with the term tamim from the Pesach (Passover) lamb, which is to be “perfect (tamim), a male one year old” (Exod 12:5). In fact, all of the sacrifices are to be tamim, meaning they are to be “unimpaired,” or “flawless,” with no blemishes, diseases or physical defects. Tamim also describes a complete year (Josh 25:3) or a complete/full day (Josh 10:13). We begin to see that tamim indicates something that is complete, or whole. When tamim is used in relation to people, however, the word refers to ethical and moral behavior related to one’s walk with God and is often contrasted with behavior that Hashem deems abhorrent or unacceptable. Scripture says that Noah was tamim in his generation and walked with God (Gen 6:9). Hashem commands Abram to “walk before me and be perfect (blameless)” (Gen 17:1). Walking with/before God indicates proper worship of and relationship with him.
In Parashat Shoftim, B’nei Israel is standing on the other side of the Jordan River about to enter Canaan. In the midst of Moses’ farewell speech to Israel, Hashem warns B’nei Israel not to learn and imitate the behavior of the people in the land, which includes divination, sorcery, necromancy, augury, and soothsaying. Instead, B’nei Israel is to be wholehearted/ blameless/perfect before him (Deut 18:9–14). In these verses, tamim is connected with behavior; don’t behave like the world around you but be tamim. Behavior and its consequences are further contrasted in the wisdom books. Psalm 37:18–21 contrasts the consequences of the tamim with that of the wicked; Psalm 101 contrasts a person who walks in the way of tamim, which includes integrity and honesty in every area of life, with those who are proud, deceitful, dishonest, and slanderers (cf. Psa 15:2[1]— one who walks in tamim does what is right and speaks honestly). Hashem watches over the tamim and withholds no good thing from them (Psa 37:18, 84:12). Proverbs 2:21 and 11:5 contrast the tamim with the wicked.
Hashem’s ways and Word are perfect (tamim): “As for God, his way is perfect (tamim)” (Psa 18:31) and “the Torah of Hashem is perfect (tamim) and restores life” (Psa 19:8[7]). People who walk in the ways of Torah are blessed for their actions: “How blessed are those whose actions are blameless (tamimei), who walk in the Torah of Adonai “ (Psa 119:1). Psalm 18:24[23], 26[27] also explain that a tamim person keeps Hashem’s commands and does not violate them. Psalm 119 expresses the psalmist’s plea to Hashem, “May my heart be tamim to your statutes, so that I might not be ashamed (Ps 119: 80).
From these verses we learn that being “perfect” directly relates to our walk with God, which includes our relationship with and worship of him, imitating him and not the world around us, and loving his Word and keeping it. One who is perfect (tamim) in this manner is blessed; their soul is restored, and they lack no good thing. Notice that nothing is said in these verses about doing things wrong, or sin, or failure, or judgment. The Bible’s view of perfection is a wholehearted commitment to Hashem and his Torah. Being tamim means that a person is undivided in their loyalty to God, relying on him alone, and serving him with undivided loyalty (be-tamim u’ve’emet, Josh 24:14). Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that Hashem’s deeds are perfect (tamim). He and his deeds are reliable and faithful, completely loyal.
Yes, the Bible teaches us to be perfect; to be perfectionists who seek Hashem with our whole hearts, mind, and soul, and who loyally and faithfully walk with and serve him. Our perfectionism lies in imitating Hashem and his ways and not the ways or standards of the world around us. This understanding is echoed in Rav Shaul’s command, “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect (teleios=tamim).”
As I said at the beginning, I am a perfectionist by nature. Both my perfectionism and love and desire for Hashem are gifts from him. My God-given desire for him led me to be a perfectionist by his standards and not by the world’s. I still sin, do wrong, and unintentionally struggle with the ways of the world as listed in Psalms—pride, deceit, dishonesty, and slander. But they are not who I am. I encourage all of us to be perfectionists for Hashem; to be people who imitate God with our whole hearts, mind, and soul, who with undivided loyalty and faithfulness walk with and serve him, and who are not conformed to this world, but are continually renewing our minds so we can be tamim before him.