New Year’s Resolutions

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, we naturally think about new beginnings.

Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect on the past year, but even more importantly, it is a time to think about the year ahead. Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment. We are not only judged for what we have done in the past, but also for what we plan to do in the future.

If we want to improve ourselves, however, we need to recognize that we cannot change everything overnight. Real change happens gradually, one step at a time.

Rabbi Yehuda Zev Segal zt”l, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, once suggested three resolutions to consider taking upon ourselves for Rosh Hashanah:

1. Add five minutes to your daily Torah study.

Rabbi Segal was speaking to boys who were learning Torah all day, so even for them, the suggestion was simply to add five minutes.

Why five minutes? Because taking on even a small, practical commitment demonstrates that our desire for self-improvement is more than just a good intention—we are prepared to turn it into action.

2. Work on our relationships with others.

It is important to take on a resolution in the area of interpersonal relationships. We should work on our character, and in particular, on the ability to overlook offences that others may have committed against us.

The Talmud teaches that a person who develops this trait will have his sins forgiven. We know that Hashem conducts the world through the principle of measure for measure. If we are willing to overlook the wrongs others have done to us, Hashem will, in turn, overlook the wrongs we have done toward Him.

3. Be more careful with our speech.

Our words have tremendous power, and being careful about what we say requires practice and study.

There are many programs that offer a few minutes of daily study on the laws of Lashon Hara. You can also check out Clean Speech Ottawa and the short videos from the Clean Speech Ottawa program that JET ran a few years ago. The videos are available on YouTube at Clean Speech Ottawa – YouTube, and the daily lessons are also available in booklets.¹

Perhaps the most important message of Rabbi Segal’s three resolutions is that we don’t have to change everything to begin changing. A small commitment, taken seriously and followed consistently, can be the first step toward meaningful growth.

As we enter the New Year, let us each choose one small thing we can do differently—and take that first step.

Wishing you a Shanah Tovah Umetukah – a Sweet and Healthy New Year – and Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Shaps and the JET Team

1. If you don’t already have the booklets, contact the JET office and we would be happy to get you copies. ↩︎