Rabbi Reuven Kigel - A Rosh Hashanah Message

[Music] hi everyone we are standing like on the cusp of rosh hashanah you know we have some hours left before our big day in shul when we crown hashem king and a lot of people think like what shall i be thinking about right now no not on rosh hashanah itself and rosh hashanah itself we're really supposed to be thinking about hashem and how great it would be if his presence filled the world but what about right before rosh hashanah so there's something i learned from rabbi victor miller is that's all sacred saddle and he said basically i'm adding a little bit to what he said humbly that he said the first thing spent five minutes before rosh hashanah thinking about all the good things that hashem has given you in the previous year i know it hasn't been the easiest of years not for not for anyone but at the same time so much good has happened so spend five minutes thinking about all the good things that have been in your life loved ones relationships where you live your food your house so on and so forth if you sit down for five minutes you would write a full page of all the good things that are happening to you that have happened to you so the first thing spend five minutes thanking hashem for the previous year that's the start now spend five minutes thinking about what you could have done better it was a good year but it could have been a little bit better maybe you could have had better relationships maybe you could have yelled a little bit less maybe you could have done a little bit better whatever it is everyone has their own things maybe you could have kept shabbos a little bit more everyone really has their own thing and we're not judging anyone because we all have things to work on that's what makes us human so spend five minutes just thinking about and saying hashem hashem you know i'm sorry i didn't do this as well as i wanted to i really like to do a little bit more maybe i'll procrastinate a little bit less this year whatever it is everyone has their own thing now spend the final five minutes planning ahead for next year what do you want to accomplish write down three four or five things that you really want to accomplish in 5781 and tough shouldn't payout what could that be different for everyone but don't limit yourself you know a lot of times i write like real stretch goals and you never know with hashem anything can happen so 15 minutes before rosh hashanah if you can encourage your family to do it even better the more the merrier five minutes thanking hashem for the previous year five minutes thinking about what you could have done better apologizing doing to shiva a little repentance before rosh hashanah itself starts and five minutes planning the year ahead if you do that first of all you're gonna have a great rosh hashanah for hashem's help and second of all you could have the best year of your life have a great year go to your and may we all be sealed and inscribed in the book of life and bezr hashem see mashiach in our lifetime [Music]