"So why did you come?" He replied, "I wanted to see how people act when being judged. The people who come to beis din are in the midst of a financial dispute, their money being on the line, and I wanted to see their behavior. I saw some people saying Tehillim with a lot of kavanah as they waited for a ruling, and I saw some people animatedly pleading their case. Everyone is worried, everyone is anxious. I thought to myself, why don't we see people being as anxious and worried during Elul when the days of judgment are approaching? And this awesome judgment isn't merely about money. A person’s entire future and life are on the line! So, I wonder how people remain so calm in Elul."
We liked to say that it is because people have bitachon and trust that Hashem will grant them good judgment. Halavay that was the source of their calmness. Perhaps it is also because people don’t fully appreciate what is at stake.
A mashal is told in the name of Reb Chaim of Brisk zt'l: A person who plans to smuggle contraband across the border can't sleep for nights. He is afraid that he will be caught. The hired wagon driver isn't as afraid because it isn't his merchandise. But when they approach the border, he also gets scared. The only one who is never afraid is the horse. We say (Tehillim 32:9) כפרד כסוס תהיו אל, "Don't be like a horse, like a mule..." We shouldn't be like animals who have no fear at all. We are nearing the days of judgment, and it is appropriate to be afraid, and then to calm our fear with bitachon.
Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt'l told a bachur who committed a grave aveirah, "How could you not have been afraid of the moments before tekiyas shofar?" The realization that he would be listening to the shofar on Rosh Hashanah should have filled him with fear and prevented him from doing this aveirah.
53. A fly was bothering the Chazon Ish. His attendant tried to shoo the fly away, but it kept returning. The Chazon Ish said, "Leave it. It is a Rosh Hashanah fly." He meant that it was destined from Rosh Hashanah that this fly should bother him, and therefore, shooing it away wouldn’t help.
This is the basic emunah of a Yid, to know that everything that occurs anytime during the year was destined and determined on Rosh Hashanah.
The Beis Aharon (Netzavim) writes, "The main thing is [that on Rosh Hashanah] everyone should draw fear to themselves. Either yirah iloyah, divine fear [the fear that stems from perceiving Hashem’s greatness], or, if he isn’t on this level, he should be afraid of the judgment. The main thing is that everyone must be afraid, and then Hakadosh Baruch Hu will do tzedakah with us."
The Baal HaTurim (Netzavim לבבך את ה"ד) writes, "From Elul on I am afraid before Hashem." The Shlah Hakadosh (beginning of Rosh Hashanah) discusses the pasuk (Amos 3:8) שאג אריה יירא לא מי, "A lion has roared; who will not fear?" He notes that the letters אריה stand for אלול, ראש השנה, יום כיפור, הושענא רבה. On these days, who isn’t afraid of Hashem's judgment?
Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaar HaYirah 101) writes, "From the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur, one should be afraid and tremble from the fearsome judgment."
It states (Tehillim 119:120) בשרי מפחדך סמר יראתי וממשפטיך, "My flesh bristles from fear of You, and I fear Your judgment." These words are gematriya 2090, the same as אלול, ראש השנה, יום כיפור, נעילה, הושענא רבה.
It states (Koheles 3:14), מלפניו שיראו עשה והאלקים, "Hashem made it that we should fear Him." The Zohar (vol.3 98:) says this pasuk refers to Rosh Hashanah. Hashem established Rosh Hashanah, so we should learn to fear Him.
The Steipler Gaon zt'l would often repeat in the name of the Chazon Ish zt'l that the definition of yiras Shamayim in our generation is to believe that whatever happens to us throughout the year was decreed on Rosh Hashanah.
