Why is a good resolution called a קבלה טובה? Shouldn’t it be called a טובה התחייבות, a good obligation? What is one receiving when he takes upon himself something? Indeed, when one makes a kabbalah tovah, he will receive brachos and yeshuos.
Reb Yonason Eibshitz zt'l (Yaaras Dvash Drush 16) teaches that making kabalos tovos is mesugal for one’s tefillos to be answered, as it states (Eichah 3:8-9) ִיִלָּתְּפת ַםָתׂש ַַוֵּעֲׁשוַא ַקֶזְעא כִּי גַּם, "Though I cry out and plead, He shuts out my prayer." This refers to the tragedy of tefillos that aren't answered, r'l. The solution is in the next pasuk, ַיָכדְּר ַרגָּד, make gedarim, boundaries, and your tefillos will be answered.
Reb Yochanan, the dayan of Kremnitz zt'l (as quoted in ו"תרצ שנת נדפס אורות טללי) taught that when one makes kabbalos tovos, he receives reward in this world. Although there are no rewards for the mitzvos in this world, there will be reward in this world for making a good kabbalah. The hint to this is in Tehillim (18:21-22), לִי ִׁיביָש ַייָד כְּבֹר ִיכְּצִדְק 'ה ֵנִיְליִגְמ, "Hashem rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanliness of my hands He recompensed me." But the question is, if there is no reward for the mitzvos in this world, how does Hashem repay in this world? The answer is in the next pasuk כִּי 'ה ֵידַּרְכ ִּיַרְתָמׁש, for I have made gedarim and safeguards. Therefore, I am eligible for reward in this world.
