Welcome to our daily Bitachon. We are now in the month of Elul. As mentioned, we are going to focus on the topic of Kabbalot—accepting commitments upon ourselves. One of the central goals during Elul is determining exactly what commitments we will make on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur going forward into the new year. Today, we will begin by demonstrating the vital importance of commitment, and over the coming week, we will explain how it works.
The Pele Yoetz, Rabbi Eliezer Papo, quotes the great Kabbalist Rav Shalom Sharabi in his work on Rosh Hashanah: the primary impact of the shofar in the heavens depends on teshuvah. Without teshuvah, the shofar is merely k'nagen hamenagen—like a musician casually playing an instrument. To activate the power of the shofar, we need teshuvah.
Consider an effervescent tablet: sitting dormant in its packaging, it possesses latent energy. Only when dropped into water does it fizz, dissolve, and release its active ingredients. Similarly, the shofar requires teshuvah to activate its spiritual resonance in the heavens. The Pele Yoetz notes that one should accept upon oneself to refrain from a specific sin—even in a modest, targeted way—and through this, zocheh liheyot tzaddik ba'al teshuvah (one merits becoming a righteous returnee).
This aligns with an essential insight from Rav Yisrael Salanter: genuine teshuvah does not require an earth-shattering, impossible resolution. Accepting a specific, focused change elevates a person to the status of a ba'al teshuvah.
The Power of Small Commitments
Why are small, targeted kabbalot often far more effective than grand, sweeping resolutions?
The Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:2) writes that the core component of teshuvah is resolving to separate oneself from sin and committing firmly for the future. He cites the verse Ya'azov rasha darko ("Let the wicked forsake his way"), requiring genuine regret. He then adds a demanding requirement: v'ya'id alav yode'a ta'alumot—the One who knows all secrets (Hashem) must be able to testify that the person will not return to this sin again.
The Rambam draws support from the Haftarah of Shabbat Shuvah (Hoshea 14:4): V'lo nomar od eloheinu l'ma'aseh yadeinu ("Nor will we call the work of our hands our gods anymore"). A novel explanation from the Nimmukei Gri"b (Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel Bachrach (1775-1846]), highlights a Midrash: Knesset Yisrael asks Hashem, "Master of the Universe, if we do teshuvah, who will testify for us?" Hashem answers, Ani ed ("I am the witness"), as it is written, Shuvah Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha (Hoshea 14:2). The Nimmukei Grib homiletically reads the word ad (until) as ed (witness): Hashem Himself stands as your witness.
This standard can feel daunting: if Hashem must testify to the permanence of the commitment, does an imperfect resolution render the entire teshuvah invalid?
The Beit Elokim (by the Mabit, Sha'ar HaTeshuvah, ch. 12) clarifies that every component of teshuvah carries immense independent value. Unlike other mitzvot—where wearing tzitzit with only three corners or putting on only half of one's tefillin fulfills nothing—teshuvah functions differently. Even if a person has not yet attained a complete teshuvah sheleimah, every partial step counts.
This mirrors the concept of chatzi shiur (a partial measure). As Chacham Ben-Zion Abba Shaul discuss regarding someone on a desert island with only half a kezayit of matzah: just as a partial measurement of a prohibition is biblically forbidden (chatzi shiur asur min haTorah), a partial measurement of a positive spiritual act retains real substance and worth. We should always strive for the ideal, but we must never let perfection become the enemy of the good.
The Practical Path Forward
This brings us back to the teaching of Rav Yisrael Salanter: taking on a small, well-defined commitment makes sustained success genuinely attainable. Because a true resolution requires lasting consistency, smaller commitments are far more durable than overwhelming overhauls that quickly collapse.
In the coming classes, we will explore how to identify the right small commitment, how to establish it properly, and how to maintain it throughout the year.