The first Shabbat of a new year always carries a particular kind of tension. The calendar turns, expectations rise, and before we have had much time to notice it, we are already being pulled toward what comes next. Shabbat arrives at that moment not to accelerate us, but to slow us down and invite a bit of a pause.
Judaism has never placed much trust in fresh starts that pretend the past is behind us. Our tradition is built around return, around the belief that growth comes from attention and repetition rather than reinvention. Shabbat, week after week, invites us back into a relationship with time itself, reminding us that who we are becoming is shaped by the merger of intention and practice.
This first Shabbat of 2026 offers a quiet opportunity to ask what we want to carry forward and where we may need to loosen our grip. Not every habit, expectation, or worry deserves to make the journey into a new year. Shabbat gives us permission to set some things down, even temporarily, and to notice what remains when we do.
As we settle into this first Shabbat in a fresh year, may we resist the pressure to define the year ahead before it has had a chance to unfold. May we pay attention to the relationships that anchor us, the work that feels honest, and the moments that ask for presence rather than productivity. Beginning well, after all, is often less about momentum and more about orientation.
May this Shabbat offer rest that feels restorative, space that allows for reflection, and everything we need to start the year off right.
Shabbat Shalom.
