To make up one's mind/ decide/ come to a conclusion
He decided in his heart. He came to a conclusion between himself and himself.
(“As Samuel said: If one resolves in his heart, he must articulate it with his lips; and this teaches us that even though he did not articulate it with his lips…” — Tractate Chagigah 10a And likewise: “Anyone who confesses verbally but has not resolved in his heart to abandon [the sin] is like one who immerses while holding a creeping thing in his hand—the immersion does not benefit him until he throws away the creeping thing.” — Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah, ch. 2, §3 And likewise: “He was truly distressed by the situation… and I resolved in my heart: Whatever may come upon me, I will put an end to the matter!” — Sholem Aleichem, Etsah, no. 109 And likewise: “One wished to study medicine, and another had still not resolved in his heart what he would do.” — S. Y. Agnon, Temol Shilshom, p. 176)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
גָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ, גָּמַר בְּדַעְתָּו
Definition (Hebrew)
הֶחְלִיט בְּלִבּוֹ. בָּא לִידֵי הַחְלָטָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ.
("דְּאָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: גָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ- צָרִיךְ שֶׁיּוֹצִיא בִּשְׂפָתָיו, וְהָא קְמִשְׁמַע לָן: דָּאף עַל גַּב דְּלֹא הוֹצִיא בִּשְׂפָתָיו"- חֲגִיגָה י ע"א, וְכֵן:"כָּל הַמִּתְוַדֶּה בִּדְבָרִים וְלֹא גָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לַעֲזֹב- הֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְטוֹבֵל וְשֶׁרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ, שֶׁאֵין הַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת לוֹ עַד שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיךְ הַשֶּׁרֶץ"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ סֵפֶר הַמַּדָּע, הִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי, ג, 152, וְכֵן:"הָיָה צַר לוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת הַמָּקוֹם, וְכֵן:"וְגָמַרְתִּי בְּלִבִּי: יַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה- וְאָשִׂים קֵץ לַדָּבָר!"- שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם/ עֵצָה, קָט, וְכֵן:"וְאֶחָד בִּקֵּשׁ לִלְמֹד תּוֹרַת הָרְפוּאָה וְאֶחָד עֲדַיִן לֹא גָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ מָה יַעֲשֶׂה"- עַגְנוֹן/ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, 176)