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Each year on Rosh Ha-shana, God judges each and every one of His creations and renews their lease on life. He bestows blessing upon the righteous, while minimizing it for the wicked. In addition to this being fair and just, it is also necessary for the world’s wellbeing. For if God were to extend His mercy to the wicked and provide them with an abundance of life and blessing, this would reinforce their wickedness and they would destroy the world.
Even though any day of the year is a good time to repent, repentance is more readily accepted during the ten days that begin with Rosh Ha-Shana and end with Yom Kippur. Accordingly, this period is known as the Ten Days of Repentance. (See 35:1 below.) Because God is closer to His creations during that time, our repentance is more readily accepted.
Every year, Jews approach these days of repentance in fear and joy. Fear because we don't know what will be our fate; joy because we have the opportunity to repent. Without a yearly accounting, the wear and tear of daily life would make us forget the exalted ideals to which we aspire. The evil inclination would overpower us, and we would become enslaved to our desires. Each year, the Days of Awe allow us to remember all our deepest wishes – all the Torah we wanted to study, all the good deeds we wanted to do. We become disgusted by our mistakes and misdemeanors, regret and confess, and re-examine our priorities. All this in the hope that the upcoming year will be a good one, during which we will increase our Torah study, mitzva performance, and good deeds, and dedicate ourselves to improving our family, society, and nation. As a result, we ascend higher and higher each year, contributing to and improving the world .
