New Year’s Resolution

A new year brings new resolutions to consider. First, what is a New Year’s resolution? This is a tradition in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life at the start of a new year. The most common resolutions are concerning health and physical appearance.

Let us consider spiritual resolves as well. Let us consider the Jewish Days of Awe. This is the Jewish New Year called Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah means ” head of the year” or “first of the year.” The final 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) are called the Days of Awe, in which Jews engage in repentance, prayer and acts of charity.

It is written in Leviticus 23: 24-27,” Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement; it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.”

The first day of the year was a day of repentance from sin. The first ten days of the new year were spent making up differences with their enemies. It was also a time of resting and refreshing spiritually. They brought an offering unto the Lord. They dedicated themselves to helping the poor and needy.

Perhaps if people resolved similar New Year’s resolutions like this, life would be more gracious and less stressful.