D'var Torah: "Whoever examines his ways in this world will merit to see the salvation of HaShem" (Moed Katan 5). The practice of reviewing our deeds at the end of the day yields an excellent benefit. The fast pace of the moment and the force of habit makes it tricky to always act in the right way. When we look over our days' interactions, conversations, thoughts, and decisions, it puts everything into a different perspective. "Examining our ways" opens our eyes to recognize the good we accomplished as well as the mistakes we made. We can strengthen the positive activities and design a strategy to detach from the negative ones. Even more, the Talmud reveals that HaShem helps every person who evaluates his conduct to improve in his quest for personal development!
Moral: Amazingly, by reviewing our day, we gain insight and Heavenly assistance to progress in goods deeds and purity of thought.
Application: Set aside a time in the evening to reflect on what constitutes "true good and true bad." Consider your actions and inner thoughts of the day. Strengthen your positive activities and eliminate the negative ones. Take small steps to improve yourself a little more each day.
(Based on Mesilat Yesharim of the Ramchal)
