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I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. They are usually of the nice yet insignificant type: I’ll try to exercise more; I’ll lose x pounds; I’ll eat more fruit, vegetables and grains. We begin them in earnest and watch them, not our pounds, slowly dissolve. If anything, I’m more inclined to focus on the month of self-evaluation from Elul, the final month of the year, and think about the ways that I have become a better person since the Jewish New Year began on September 15 at sundown. How have I improved in the past 100 days?

I must admit that there are times when I wonder if my efforts are achieving anything, if I am merely wasting my time. It occasionally feels like I’m running an ultramarathon all by myself, with no one cheering me on nor offering a cup of water or protein bar. That’s the thing about an ultramarathon. There will be moments of loneliness, yet moments of solidarity. It’s the solidarity with others that has been absent. When engaged in those moments, they provide inspiration to persevere, that it is all worth it, that there are fellow runners, just not apace with me.

The vows to lose weight, eat better and exercise just do not have the significance in the world we live in. There are far more pressing matters that deserve our attention as we sip our cappuccinos, and these are the meaningful vows that we must attend to. I know that I will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nor the Russian-Ukrainian War. But maybe, just maybe, I can help with food insecurity, or homelessness, or clothing supply, or educational support. There are so many wonderful not-for-profit organizations that are in need of our time and our money. I have personally witnessed the gratitude of someone in need when I’ve helped them, and that feeling just enlivens me.

We learn in Pirkei Avot 4:2: Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah - a Mitzvah causes a Mitzvah. The performance of a Mitzvah creates this warm feeling all over that encourages one to seek an additional opportunity to perform another. What many do not know is the second half of the verse: Aveirah Goreret Aveirah, a transgression leads to a transgression. The taste of a sin frequently fuels that part of us that encourages us to perform another. Sometimes the after effect of a sin might be regret, sometimes thrill. It is up to each of us to recognize the potential of each, with the hope that not only can our internal sensors recognize the difference, but also filter out the sin, letting the Mitzvah flow through and infect us in a good way.

Alas, we have seen far too much Aveirah Goreret Aveirah in the past nearly twelve weeks. Remember that this is an ultramarathon. Let the Mitzvot flow.