Tammuz 7
Without Blemish
“Who may live on your holy
mountain? The one who walks with
integrity …” (Ps
15:1-2 TLV)
Tâmı̂ym (Strong’s H8549) is the Hebrew word
that has been translated here as ‘integrity’ – other translations read
uprightly or blamelessly. The word tâmı̂ym is used, for the most part, in
connection with the sacrificial system, in describing the requirements of each
offering as perfect, without defect or blemish (see Ex 12:5; Lev 3:1; Num
6:14). Other words attributed to the
meaning of tâmı̂ym are complete, sound,
mature and without blame.
How does
this relate to us, those of us who cling to the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob? To ‘walk’ has to do with our
everyday lifestyle, how we live our
lives. Someone who walks blamelessly is
one who walks in integrity, and the one who is mature is the one who is
complete. Bear in mind, please, that it
is most generally throughout the course of any given day that we interact with
other people, and it is in how we
interact with these people that “walking with tâmı̂ym” is critical.
One of
the definitions listed by Noah Webster for the word ‘integrity’ is “The entire,
unimpaired state of anything, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or
purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. Integrity comprehends the whole moral character, but has a special
reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfers of property, and
agencies for others.”[1] All of this has to do with living the Torah
lifestyle, first and foremost, with the commitment to always bringing honor to the One who created us.
Further
instructions for interpersonal activity are found in a verse that most of us
know well: “Do not take vengeance or
bear a grudge against the children of your people. And you shall love your
neighbour as yourself. I am יהוה.” (Lev 19:18) When we choose to love our neighbor, we
typically do not steal, cheat, defraud, or slander each other. And let us also remember the admonition of “through
love serve one another” (Gal 5:13). This
is the formula for “walking with tâmı̂ym”.
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