We often treat spiritual growth like a massive, terrifying mountain that we have to sprint up right before the shofar blows. We assume that becoming a better person requires sweeping, dramatic life changes, the kind of spiritual transformation that feels completely out of reach for anyone juggling a demanding day job, a busy family life, and a mortgage.

Parashat Nitzavim addresses this anxiety and answers it with one of the most comforting verses in the entire Torah. Moses tells the people that this mandate to grow is not some impossible, distant quest. “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea. No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe”.

True religion and genuine personal growth do not require heroic, impossible leaps across the vast ocean.

This grounded, practical wisdom perfectly mirrors the beautiful perspective of our Sephardic ancestors. There is a famous Ladino proverb, often shared around the kitchen table by wise nonas, or grandmothers: Poko a poko se va lexos. Little by little, one goes far.

Our grandmothers clearly understood what Moses was teaching thousands of years earlier. If you try to jump to the heavens in a single bound, you will eventually fall. But if you focus on the very next small, manageable step, you can successfully cross an entire continent.

Real, lasting transformation does not happen in a sudden flash of lightning.

It happens in the quiet, repetitive choices we make on a random Tuesday.

It is found in taking a deep breath instead of snapping at your kids.

It is pausing to have a cup of hot chocolate with a friend who is struggling.

These small acts are not insignificant.

They are the actual fabric of a deeply meaningful life.

They are already in your mouth and in your heart.

As we step into this beautiful season of renewal, leave the heavens alone.

You do not need to be entirely perfect by Rosh Hashanah.

You just truly need to be moving steadily in the right direction.

Embrace the timeless wisdom of the S’faradic nonas.

Take one small, intentional and practical step forward today.

Little by little, you arrive safely home.