A Resolution for 2026 and 5786

A Resolution for 2026 and 5786
By Rabbi Maurice Salth

Do Jews believe in making secular New Year resolutions?

The answer is no and…yes.

The ultimate Jewish answer.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Secular Year! My work is done here.

With apologies to any Guiness Book of World Record officials in the congregation looking for the world’s shortest sermon – you will have to wait until the next one. Because I have to explain my answer to this timeless burning question a bit more.

The answer is no, Jews do not believe in making secular New Year resolutions because the secular new year is not core to Jewish practice.

And…the answer is yes, because, it turns out, we Jews take every single opportunity or at least we should strive to take every single opportunity, every single day to commit to improving ourselves, in small and large ways. Because the new year and the days surrounding it count as days on the calendar and by Talmudic rule, we Jews believe in making these commitments, these resolutions, if they just happen to be on the secular New Year, they can technically be called a new year’s resolution.

And when it comes to improving ourselves, B’reisheet, the book of the Torah we are close to finishing is dominated by story upon story, saga upon saga, with specific ways can consider interacting better with each other; especially with those we are closest to or wish we were closest to.

This week’s parasha, Vayigash, the penultimate portion of Genesis, contains one of the biggest emotional scenes found in any Torah portion. In previous portions Joseph has used his unlikely status and power as the vizier, the second in command in all of Egypt, to test the character of his brothers who have come to Egypt from nearby Canaan looking for food. He even tortures them a bit in what seems to be a vengeful action in connection to the time years ago when they sold him into slavery.

Keep in mind when his brothers first come to him in Egypt, months earlier, Joseph could have immediately confided in them the miracle of his transformation from slave to vizier, but Joseph chooses another path. One where, disguised in the clothing of his position and speaking in Egyptian, he detains them in a dungeon and accuses them of lying. Joseph sends them on what he knows is a difficult mission to bring back Benjamin, the youngest of the brothers who had nothing to do with selling him into slavery and then Joseph frames Benjamin and threatens young Ben with life-long imprisonment.

This process takes months, precious months during a famine where Joseph chooses to keep his identity secret from not only his brothers but also from his dear elderly father Jacob and beloved younger brother Benjamin. The same beloved brother who he is in the process of threatening as we open this week’s portion.

I know I was taught, through most of my life, that all the hard aspects of this story resolve in the positive. Joseph’s brother Judah, the same brother who suggested they sell him into slavery, volunteers to take Benjamin’s place in prison. This act results in opening Joseph’s heart and Jospeh revealing his true identity, asking about his father’s welfare and declaring to his brothers that this was all God’s plan. There are tears and disbelief and soon a reunion with Jacob who comes to Egypt with a royal welcome.

And don’t get me wrong. This is a positive resolution, compared to the worse case scenarios, and yet we know this story could have gone another terrible way.

The portion opens with Joseph seemingly committed to his plan to keep Benjamin with him while sending his brothers back to Canaan believing that Benjamin is destined for jail. This all changes, thank goodness, with Judah’s offer to take Benjamin’s place.

And here we all are on the cusp of a new secular year, reading this iconic conclusion to the Joseph saga. Most of us cannot relate directly to being the second in command to the king but I do think most of can relate to being in a relationship with family member or close friend that has disappointed us, or worse.

Others of us are, like Joseph, in a position of strength or power with regard to family and friends.

And this is where I believe Judaism is desperate for us to embrace the lessons from the end of this Jospeh tale. Anxious, our ancestors are, to push us, and let me be clear I am speaking as much to myself as I am to all of us, our tradition is eager to push us, whenever we find ourselves, like Joseph, on the razor thin edge of being gracious or vengeful, compassionate or vicious; Judaism strongly encourages us choose the former - that’s graciousness and compassion for those keeping score - even if we might be leaning towards the later.

This is the resolution we can each take with us into 2026 or 5786 or just… tomorrow. An intention to, wherever our heart, soul and mind is on the edge of attacking to err on the side of reconciliation and kindness. The Talmud even states: The greatest wisdom is kindness [Talmud, Brachot 17a].

Indeed, after an entire Torah volume filled with story after story, tale after tale, of family dysfunction and relationship catastrophe, Genesis concludes with people, these siblings and family members finally behaving thoughtfully and carefully to each other, even lovingly, forgiving each other and we should strive to do so as well.

I do know there are situations where reconciliation, kindness, love and forgiveness is not an option, it’s not possible. Our rabbinic intern Brooklyn Michalowicz spoke brilliantly about this a few weeks ago (see https://centralsynagogue.org/worship/sermons/rabbinic-intern-brooklyn-michalowicz). If you haven’t heard her sermon, you must. It is available on our website.

In all other cases where reconciliation and compassion is being pursued, we should prepare ourselves; this work is not easy, we will be challenged, maybe even later tonight and definitely in the weeks and months ahead and I am telling us and our tradition is telling us, wherever we can, we must do our best to be agents of healthy, positive, caring behavior.

We clergy want to help you with this process, and you can ask your friends and family to assist you when you are attempting to make amends and do things right.

We can do this, and for the sake of our very lives, we must.

Shabbat Shalom.