Yesterday, before my lecture in Efrat, I went to pray at the Ma’arat Machpela in the heart of hostile Hevron. This is holy gravesite of our matriarchs and patriarchs necessitates round-the-clock vigilance, for there’s much terrorist activity in the area.

An IDF Infantryman in full combat gear, stationed on guard at the time, caught my eye. He was just as alert to perform an act of loving-kindness as he was to thwart terrorists. Here, he’s helping a frail grandma up the stairs. These are the pictures that the media should be showing, not only before Yom Kippur but all year long.

One Good Deed

What’s the point? Performing one act of kindness for a fellow human can virtually tip an individual’s scales. Maybe a moment ago that person’s transgressions outweighed his or her merits. But now, after the one good deed, they now appear in the righteous column.

A Profound Effect

The one good deed gives a person a new lease on life. He or she can look in a spiritual mirror and see a “new me.” And guess what: when a “new me” ushers in a new year, he or she virtually creates a new world. That one good deed makes the world much more pleasant. It can even tip the scales of the entire world. For one good deed, the Almighty is more than willing to sustain us for another whole year.

A New Year’s Resolution

People are notorious in forgetting New Year’s resolutions. A pre-Yom Kippur resolution lasts about 5 days until the beginning of Succoth. But here’s one that we all can fulfill. Let’s try to do at least one good deed every day. That way, the “new me” will usher in a lovely new year in a beautiful new world. Blessings for an easy fast and a meaningful Yom Kippur!