He spoke and it came into being (Rosh Hashanah Shacharis Prayers)
It’s the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance, and there’s no better time than right now to get serious about the life we truly want to live.
A woman told me that over the past few years, her nights had been consumed by endless scrolling, watching inane videos, filling her mind with content she didn’t value, and ending her days feeling empty. But one night during Elul, something shifted. It was late, she was tired, but a jolting thought hit her: “This is beneath me. I’m ready to move forward.”
Though she isn’t tech-savvy, she made a decision. “I will not go to sleep until I cancel every subscription that is draining my time and soul.” She acted then and there, because as we all know: if we wait for tomorrow, tomorrow may never come.
What she did was transformative. She lived the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech, who says in Mishlei (6:4): “Do not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.” When your soul stirs, don’t delay. Act immediately.
But this woman didn’t stop there. She understood that if she simply removed a habit without replacing it, the void would eventually pull her back. So she asked Hashem, “Please help me find something uplifting to fill the void in my life.” And she did. She found an inspirational speaker, and she now ends her nights with wisdom, growth and joy. She told me, “I feel like a million dollars.”
What she did has a name: a commitment device.
A commitment device is a one-time action you take while you’re inspired to make it harder for your future, more impulsive self to go back on your word. It’s the tool that locks in your values before your weakness tries to sabotage them.
Here are a few examples:
- Internet filters: Have someone else set the password. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Canceling apps or games: If it’s draining your time or your soul, remove it.
- Throwing out questionable clothing: If you’re unsure about it, let it go. You can’t wear what’s no longer there.
- Public declarations: Tell a friend, “You’re my partner. I’m committing to no lashon hara with you.” You won’t want to break your word.
- Pay in advance: Whether it’s a nutritionist or a therapist, prepaying makes you far more likely to show up.
- Bookmarks of meaning: Put Torah classes on your favorites bar, and make it easy to choose the right inspiration when you reach for your phone.
I once used a commitment device myself. I remember sitting with a nutritionist and thinking: what’s going to stop me from running straight to the bakery after this appointment? So I pulled out my wallet and prepaid for the next session. Now I had to show up because I had skin in the game.
But there’s one more step.
Don’t just remove a habit. Replace it. Ask Hashem to help you find something meaningful to take its place. That’s what my student did, and that’s why she succeeded.
This Yom Kippur, let your commitment be your defense attorney. Every subscription canceled, every time limit set, every app deleted are not small actions. They are spiritual armor. They come with us into shul, and stand beside us as we plead our case before the Heavenly Court.
Use the energy of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah to make one change, and then lock it in with a commitment and find a meaningful replacement. It’s a winning formula.
