New Year's Resolutions
By Rabbi Eli Hecht
Recently I was driving through the New York Holland Tunnel when I had the strangest experience. The cars in front began to drop their speed and come to a stop. With an hour left until Shabbos and being an orthodox Shabbos observer, I was really a mess. Driving after sunset is forbidden. What could I do?
Suddenly I felt a sharp movement, a shuddering in my chest. Could I be having a heart attack I thought? I began to pray and in a short while things quieted down and I felt better. Then it happened again, this time I really became frightened. What’s happening? Am I having a panic anxiety attack? Once again I said my prayer, promising God if I make it through I’ll be good.
As I prayed I put my hands on my chest and that was when I realized I wasn’t experiencing any medical emergency. It was my new Treo telephone in my shirt pocket! I had received the phone as a holiday gift and placed it on vibrator mode. My son was calling me, setting the telephone vibrator off. What a frightening experience.
Once back in California I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day. The weather was sunny, perfect for a walk on the beach. Little children were running on the beach and friendly people were walking or jogging on the sand. What a serene moment in my busy life.
All of sudden a black Mercedes passed me by and stopped. Two mid-eastern looking men stepped out; one carrying a bag while the other approaches me. My mind begins to run in overdrive. They conversed in a foreign language, which sounded like Arabic. They may be part of a radical Islamic group I thought. They ask, “Are you Jewish?” I was scared out of my wits. “Yes” I said.
Then, the one holding the bag took out an old worn Jewish prayer book and says to me, “I come from Iran and have just moved into the area. Where can I find a synagogue?” To say the least I was very relieved. It made the rest of my walk very rewarding.
As the year draws to an end we think of the New Year resolutions people make and break. Many people find reasons for making resolutions based on false observations.
These two stories got me thinking about my life. How I jumped to conclusions without thinking. How irrational my fears were. In a peculiar way my recent experiences have been a wake up call to make an honest New Year’s resolution to thank God for all the good things and to adopt an attitude of gratitude for the happy and simple things in life.
A happy new year. Amen.