תָּמִים תִהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱלֹקיךָ. -- דברים יח:יג
You should be pure with Hashem, your G-d. [Devorim 18:13]
Rashi explains one of the messages of this verse in the following way: “...כל מה שיבא עליך קבל בתמימות...Rather, accept with pure [emunah] everything that will come upon you... “
Why is the word קבל (accept) in Rashi’s comment above in present tense, while the word שיבא (that will come) in the future tense?
The message is: Accept now that whatever will happen, will be all good, since it will come from your loving Father in Shamayim.
ELUL
During Elul and Aseres Yemei Teshuva, the verse שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה' אֱלֹקיךָ (Return Yisroel to Hashem, your G-d...) is calling out to our inner depth. Now, the verse does not say “Return to Hashem, your G-d...”, but rather “Return Yisroel to Hashem, your G-d...” HaKadosh Boruch is telling us, “You are Yisroel. Return to Me.” This is telling us that we first need to understand our identity. Knowing who we are is the first step in teshuva.
In parshas Re’eh, a fundamental lesson is taught: בָנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹקיכֶּם - You are children to Hashem, your G-d...(Devorim 14:1). The Targum Yerushalmi translates this verse as, בְׂנִין חֲבִיבִין אַתוּן קֳדָם יְׂיָ אֱלָהָכוֹן - You are dear children to Hashem, your G-d. Hence, the Torah is telling us: We are Hashem’s dear children. When a person connects to that identity of “Yisroel”, he can begin the process of returning to Hashem, he loving Father in Heavens.
