Start with the Man in the Mirror

Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” is one of the clearest articulations of moral responsibility in modern pop music. The message is simple: If I want the world to change, I can’t wait for others to make it happen. I have to look at myself. I have to change. “I’m starting with the man in the mirror,” he sings, “I’m asking him to change his ways.”

That’s exactly what Yom Kippur demands of us. And it’s exactly what Parashat Vayelech prepares us for.

Moses, nearing the end of his life, tells the people: “I am 120 years old today. I can no longer go out and come in.” He hands over leadership. He prepares the people for a future without him. But he also tells them something else: God knows that after I die, you will stray from the path. That’s not Moses condemning the people—it’s Moses telling them the truth. You will fail. But you can return.

This is the spiritual foundation of Yom Kippur: we fail. And we return. We don’t blame others. We don’t wait for society to change. We look inward. We begin with the man—or woman—in the mirror.

Parashat Vayelech introduces the mitzvah of Hakhel, the public reading of the Torah every seven years to the entire nation. Why? Because people forget. Because inspiration fades. Because action has to be renewed. And because listening—nishma—must lead back to doing—na’aseh. Yom Kippur is our national Hakhel. We stand together. We read the words. We hear the call. And then we act.

Too often, we use “listening” as an excuse not to do. We wait to feel inspired. We wait to understand. We wait for others to go first. But na’aseh v’nishma is not about waiting. It’s about doing first. Taking responsibility first. Repenting first. Changing first.

Michael Jackson’s song isn’t religious. But it speaks the language of Yom Kippur: “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change.”

This is the work of the day. Look at yourself. Tell the truth. Take responsibility. And then change.