How is your stock-taking – cheshbon haNefesh – going?

Now, only 10 days away from the start of the new year and 20 days from Yom Kippur, how much do you feel prepared for the big days in our Jewish calendar?

And in general, is this whole Elul business of introspection, reflection, and transformation, meaning making Teshuva, working?

Let’s be honest—this process can feel overwhelming. Looking back at the year behind us, we may see failures, mistakes, and unresolved tensions. Sometimes the weight of the work ahead makes Teshuva (repentance) feel daunting, even unattainable.

It is an honest reflection when we ask ourselves: “Is making Teshuva working? Am I really changing, or am I just going through the motions?”

For those of you who like to drift off while I am sharing my thought for Shabbat, my quick answer is that Judaism teaches us that transformation does not need to happen all at once. Teshuva is not an all-or-nothing process. Instead, it is about the small steps we take, day by day, to align our lives more closely with our values and aspirations. Even a slight turn in the right direction can lead to a journey of immense growth.

For everyone else, let me explain it a bit more in depth:

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, one of the leading thinkers of the 20th century, shared a deeply hopeful vision of Teshuva. In his work Orot HaTeshuva, he writes that Teshuva is not only a response to sin, but a return to our highest selves. For Rav Kook, Teshuva is a natural, divine process that emerges from the depths of the soul’s yearning for wholeness and connection with God.

Rav Kook emphasises that Teshuva is part of the very fabric of our existence—everything in creation is always in a process of becoming more whole, more perfect. Thus, even the smallest movement toward repentance is part of a larger flow toward healing and growth.

As he writes, “The beginning of repentance is in the understanding that it is possible to be different, to turn away from the negativity of the past, and to aspire toward a higher and more perfect future.” (6:1)

It is easy to feel discouraged when we focus only on the big picture—the ways in which we still fall short of our goals. But Judaism invites us to focus on the small steps. Every kind word, every apology, every moment of mindfulness brings us closer to our true selves and to God. The process of Teshuva, like any personal growth, is gradual.

Teshuva is not about instant transformation, but about the ongoing commitment to making incremental changes that, over time, lead to significant growth.

After all, the Hebrew word for sin, chet, comes from an archery term that means “to miss the mark.” We miss the mark often. But Teshuva is the process of recalibrating, of adjusting our aim slightly, and trying again.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us that life is not measured by grand gestures, but by the small, sacred moments in which we align our actions with our higher calling.

In his essay “No Religion is an Island” (p264), Heschel writes, “Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy,” saying that every moment has the potential of being made holy. Each day, we are given the opportunity to turn slightly closer to our better selves, to reorient our lives towards goodness.

The small steps we take towards Teshuva may seem insignificant at the moment, but they add up. One should never underestimate the power of a single good deed, for it might just tip the scales of our entire lives towards merit.

For me, the process of Teshuva is one of optimism. Every time we make a small change, we affirm that growth is possible, that we are not fixed or static beings. We can always return, always repair, and always heal.

And the great beauty of this is that we do not need to wait for a grand moment of inspiration. While I hope to see you all on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, honestly speaking, you don’t have to. We can begin now—with a simple apology, a kind word, or a compassionate action.

So, how is your stock-taking going?

If you feel like you haven’t done enough yet, remember: Teshuva is not about perfection. It’s about progress.

Shabbat Shalom