The Awesome Judgment
It states (Devarim 11:12) אַח ֲרִית וְעַד ּׁ ָנָההַש מֵרֵשִׁית שׁ ָנָה, "From the beginning of the year to year's end." Rashi writes, בסופה יהא מה נדון השנה מראש, "From Rosh Hashanah, it is judged what will be in the end of the year." Also, Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 8a) writes, ה''שהקב הבא תשרי עד אותם הקורות כל העולם באי כל את בתשרי דן, "Hakadosh Baruch Hu judges in Tishrei all people of the world, everything that will happen to them, until the next Tishrei."
When we think about this, our hearts are gripped with fear. Everything that will occur this year is decided, determined, and decreed on these two days of Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, it states (Koheles 3:14) עָשָׂה וְהָא ֱלֹקים מ ִלְּפ ָנָיו שׁ ֶ יִּרְ אוּ, "Hashem has acted so man will be in awe of Him." The Zohar says that this refers to Rosh Hashanah. The day arouses us to fear – to fear Hashem.
Rosh Hashanah is called ת ְּרוּעָה יוֹם, a day of blowing shofar. As it states (Bamidbar 29:1) יוֹם לָכֶם יִה ְיֶה ת ְּרוּעָה, "It shall be a day of... shofar to you." The expression ת ְּרוּעָה יוֹם sounds like we blow the shofar the entire day, but that obviously isn't so. We blow one hundred times, and the mitzvah is completed. Why is it called ת ְּרוּעָה יוֹם, which makes it sound as if the entire day is for shofar?
The Tzlach (Chagigah 14a) explains that יוֹם ת ְּרוּעָה is describing to us the awesome atmosphere of Rosh Hashanah. Chazal tell us that the sounds of the shofar represent יליל ילולי גנח גנוחי, which means moaning and crying. The entire day is ת ְּרוּעָה יוֹם, a day of immense fear.
But when we are afraid of Hashem, and when we are afraid of the judgment, there is nothing to fear. The purpose of the fear was accomplished, so we are safe, and there is nothing to fear. As it states (Tehillim 119:161) שָׂרִים לִבִּי פָּחַד ָוּמ ִדְּב ָרְך ח ִנָּם רְד ָפוּנִי, "Princes have pursued me for no reason, but my heart has feared Your word." When princes pursue me, and I am in danger, I fear Hashem. Thereby, the purpose of the fear was accomplished. The primary purpose was to arouse me to fear Hashem, which I do, and therefore, there isn’t anything to be afraid of.
Rebbe Reb Shmelka of Nickelsburg zt'l says that the roshei teivos of ח ִנָּם ְדָפוּנִיר רִיםשָׂ לִבִּי חַדָּפ ָּמ ִדְּב ָרְךו, "Princes have pursued me for no reason, but my heart has feared Your word" spell שופר, and the middle word is ח ִנָּם, "for no reason". Because the sound of the shofar arouses fear. When we fear Hashem, however, ח ִנָּם we have nothing to fear. The purpose of the fear was accomplished, and therefore, nothing bad will happen to us.
