Faith Only in Hashem

There is an important Pasuk in פרשת שופטים that says, תמים תהיה עם ה׳ אלוקיך, that one must be complete with Hashem your G-d.

Some interpret the word “תמים” as a word describing serving Hashem with innocence.

In reality, this Pasuk is a warning to stay away from all forms of sorcery and witchcraft. We are not allowed to go to fortune tellers, or those who speak with the dead.

The Rambam counts a total of fifty-one laws that involve the prohibition of עבודה זרה, idol worship. This includes any form of worship that is not directed directly to G-d. We are not meant to seek short cuts or look for intermediaries in connecting with Hashem.

We can certainly ask for Tzaddikim to pray on our behalf, but we cannot turn the graves of the righteous, or the Tzaddikim, into a worship unto itself.

Instead, we are to serve Hashem with innocence and completeness, with unshakable faith. We need to learn that we are to lean only on Him, and the future will be bright, if we can achieve this.