Part VII. Hold on for Dear Life
You Need a Plan
And so, we come back now to that statement in the Torah: ̇‡ֹּזַה הָו¿ˆּƒמַה יּƒכ – This commandment that I am commanding you today to do teshuvah, םƒיַמָּׁ ַ̆ב ‡ֹל‡וƒה – is not in the sky. Will you have to go up into the sky to bring it down? No, it’s not that difficult. ‡ֹל¿ו‡וƒה םָּיַל ר∆ב≈ﬠ≈מ – And it’s not overseas either. You don’t have to travel to Eretz Yisroel to visit a big tzaddik or to daven at the Kosel in order to do teshuvah. You don’t have to go anywhere. It’s right here. Where is it? It’s right inside of you. ָיךƒפּ¿ב „ֹ‡¿מ רָבָּ„ַהָיך∆ל≈‡ בֹרוָ ̃ יּƒכֹו ֹׂ̇ ֲ̆ﬠַלָך¿בָב¿לƒבּו. All you have to do is make up your mind that you’re willing to serve Hashem in these ways. Nothing of great effort is required of you; no big expense, no mesiras nefesh.
But you must have at least a few specific things that you’re going to work on changing. It has to be a ׁ ָּ̆מַמ ֹוּב ׁ ̆≈ּי∆ׁ ̆ רָבָּ„, a clear-cut plan; something you can sink your teeth into. Just to say in general, “I’m going to be good this year,” is better than nothing, but not much better. To talk in general means almost nothing at all because ָּ ̇¿סַפָּ ̇ ‡ֹל ה∆ּבֻר¿מ ָּ ̇¿סַפָּ ̇ – If you try to grab too much at one time, you’re going to grab nothing at all. It’s all going to fall out of your hand.
But when you specify something clear-cut, then you’ll be able to carry it out. ָּ ̇¿סַפָּ ̇ טָﬠּמו ָּ ̇¿סַפָּ ̇ – If you grab a little bit at a time, you’ll be able to hold on to it.
Grab Hold of Something
But ָּ ̇¿סַפָּ ̇ means that you’re grabbing onto it. You’re holding on to that little bit very tightly. And that’s what we talked about here tonight—four easy paths of shuvu el Hashem that we can hold onto without letting go. And if you take these ideas that you heard here tonight, and you get busy doing them, that’s the teshuvah that Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants most. It’s v’shuvu el Hashem. You’re coming back to Hashem.
This last month before the Day of Judgement, you’ll be busy showing Hakadosh Baruch Hu that you’re serious about doing real teshuvah, about changing your direction in life. And when we set out on this last month of the year in the right direction, this month is going to be the stamp, the chasimah, the conclusion of the year. We have a plan now! We’re doing something! Not just something—four new things that will transform our lives!
And even though there may be many more things that you should be doing that you’re not, but at least there are a few things you are doing. Hashem will see that you’re headed in the right direction. And if you’re headed in the right direction, then ‡ָּבַהֹו ֹ̇ו‡ ןָי¿עַס¿מ ר≈הַּטƒל – If you’re trying to get better, He’ll help you go further and further (Menachos 29b). You’ll get siyata d’Shmaya to do more and more, and you’ll live many more years of happiness and accomplishment in avodas Hashem.
