54. We say in the Rosh Hashanah tefillah, עולם הרת היום. The Rokeach explains that הרת means pregnancy because everything that happens during the year has its origin — its pregnancy — on Rosh Hashanah.
55. Reb Eliyahu Dessler zt'l said, "I am not a heaven person. I don't know what was decreed on Rosh Hashanah. But after the year passes, I know exactly what was decreed last Rosh Hashanah."
Someone was niftar from pneumonia in the middle of the winter in Shevat. Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz zt'l said, "He didn't die from the cold and pneumonia. He was niftar when the sun shone brightly. His fate was determined on Rosh Hashanah.
During a global financial crisis, all wealthy people were worried about their wealth. However, Reb Yosef Weinberg zt'l was a rich person, a relative of the Slonimer Rebbes zt'l, and he wasn't worried at all. The Beis Avraham of Slonim asked him, "How do you remain calm when all wealthy people are so worried?" He replied, "I laugh at these matters. My yerid (market day) is Rosh Hashanah!" The Beis Avraham zt'l repeated this story many times. Reb Yosef Weinberg correctly understood that what happens in the middle of the year isn’t when they truly occur. Everything is determined on Rosh Hashanah.
A group of fishermen cast a large net into the sea with bait inside. Two fish swam into the net, ate the bait, and tried to leave after a while, but they couldn't; they were trapped. One fish told its friend, "We were foolish for spending so much time in the net. We should have taken the bait and left immediately." The other fish replied, "When we took the bait, we were already trapped." The nimshal is that throughout the year, disappointing things occur, and people often say, "Had I been more careful, this wouldn't have happened." But those with emunah know that it didn't occur now. It was destined and decreed on Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah is called (Tehillim 81:4), חגינו ליום בכסה, "a concealed holiday." The Chofetz Chaim explains that it is called a concealed holiday because the results of the awesome judgment are hidden from us until they happen.
In Radin, before tekiyas shofar, there was a break (as in many batei midrashim). Some said Tehillim, some studied mussar, and almost everyone prepared themselves for the upcoming holy mitzvah. However, some bachurim took advantage of the break to see what was happening in other batei midrashim in Radin. They wanted to see how many people were in each beis medresh, who were the chazanim, and other trivial matters.
The Chofetz Chaim heard about this, and before tekiyas shofar, he spoke. He told a story that happened when he was young. The mother of a bachur of the yeshiva was niftar, and no one knew how to break this news to the bachur. The father sent a telegram advising that they buy a new suit for his son and place a note in one of the pockets informing the bachur what happened to his mother. The bachur was very happy with his new suit. He wore it proudly, but didn't know what was in the pocket.
Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 8.) writes, "Hakadosh Baruch Hu judges the entire world [on Rosh Hashanah, to determine] what will happen to them until next year Tishrei." As the year progresses, we will discover what was decreed in Heaven.
Sometimes, the judgment on Rosh Hashanah is for several years, and not solely for the upcoming year. The Magen Avraham (end of 591) proves this from Pharaoh's dream, which occurred on Rosh Hashanah. He dreamed about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The future fourteen years were determined on that Rosh Hashanah.
Even if the judgment is for one year, it is sufficient to fill our hearts with fear. Think about the tefillah of תוקף ונתנה, that we recite with immense fear and awe. מי ...ימות ומי יחיה מי ישלו, all these matters, and more, are decided on Rosh Hashanah.
