Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings woven around the Book of Psalms, explores this very idea. It starts with the verse, "Blessed are the upright in their way, who walk in the law of the Lord." But what does it really mean to be "upright"?
King Solomon, the wisest of men, had something to say about it. Proverbs 20:7 tells us, "The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!" It’s a beautiful idea: that our commitment to living an ethical life not only benefits us, but ripples outward, blessing future generations. How amazing is that? To leave a legacy of righteousness!
The Midrash then pulls in other threads, connecting the concept of uprightness to figures like Abraham and Moses. The Almighty asked of Abraham, as we read in Genesis 17:1: "Walk before Me, and be wholehearted." Similarly, Moses urged the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:13: "You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God."
Now, notice something subtle but important. The Midrash points out that the verse doesn't say "with" the Lord, but "before" the Lord. What’s the difference? The text suggests that when we are truly wholehearted, we are with God, mirroring His own perfection. As 2 Samuel 22:31 declares, "His way is perfect." The idea is that we can strive for that perfection, too.
And it's not just us striving, but the Torah itself! Psalm 19:8 tells us, "The Torah of the Lord is perfect." So, Israel, the Torah, and God are all connected through this idea of being wholehearted.
The Midrash then illustrates this with a story about the generation in the desert, those who wandered with Moses after the Exodus. Rabbi Eliezer points out that God gave them commandments without explaining the reasoning behind them. For example, in Exodus 22:30, they were told not to eat meat torn by beasts, but to give it to the dogs. And in Leviticus 19:23, they were instructed to treat the fruit of newly planted trees as forbidden for the first three years, calling it orlah, "uncircumcised." They accepted these decrees without questioning or demanding to know the reward.
Think about that for a moment. They didn't ask, "What's in it for us?" They simply obeyed. This, the Midrash suggests, is true uprightness. It's about acting righteously not for personal gain or recognition, but simply because it's the right thing to do.
So, what does all this mean for us today? Are we meant to blindly follow rules? Maybe not. But perhaps we can learn from the generation in the desert the importance of acting with integrity, even when we don't fully understand the reasons why. To be upright, to be wholehearted, is to strive for that connection with something greater than ourselves – with Torah, with the Divine. And that, the Midrash implies, is a blessing in itself.