"What did I gain by doing them? I wish I had not done them," he loses all of his mitzvos. As it is written, "The righteousness of the righteous will not serve him when be transgresses." (Yechezkiel 33:12). This applies only to a person who regrets his previous (good) deeds.
Just as the merits and sins of each Jew are weighed at the time of his death, so too, are his merits and sins weighed every year on Rosh Hashanah. If one is found righteous, his verdict for life is sealed. If one is found wicked, his verdict for death is sealed. The verdict of the beinony (one whose merits and sins are equal) remains pending until Yom Kippur. If he repents, his verdict for life is sealed. If not, his verdict for death is sealed.
THE MESSAGE OF THE SHOFAR
[3:4] Although the mitzvah of blowing the shofar (ram's horn) on Rosh Hashanah is a chok, (a mitzvah for which we are not given a reason)8, nevertheless, it also contains this message, "Wake up from your sleep with the sounding of the shofar alarm, you sleepers! Arise from your slumber, you slumberers! Examine your deeds! Return to God! Remember your Creator!" Those of you who forget the truth with the futilities of the times and spend all year in vanity and emptiness, look into your souls, improve your ways and your deeds. Let each of you abandon. your evil ways and immoral thoughts.
Accordingly, throughout the year, a person should view himself and his relationship to the entire world as if his good and bad deeds are evenly balanced. By performing one sin, he tips his own scale and that of the entire world to the side of guilt, bringing punishment upon himself and the whole world. Conversely, if he performs one mitzvah, he tips his scale and that of the entire world to the side of merit, bringing redemption and deliverance to himself and others. As it is written, "A righteous man is the foundation of the world." (Proverbs 10:25) Meaning, that a person who acts virtuously tips the scale of the entire world to the side of merit and saves it.
It is therefore customary for all Israel to increase their charitable donations9, performing more
this person will not be rewarded any mitzvos even if he helped people in need. Nevertheless, he will be paid for his kindness in this world so as not to see the World to Come.
8 The kabalah gives an explanation for this mitzvah. The ram's horn is a remembrance of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a remembrance of their devotion to God, and of the promises made to them regarding their future generations. The ram was sacrificed by Abraham instead of Isaac.
We blow three basic sounds from the shofar. The Tekiya is a long sound, representing the attribute of Abraham, kindness (chesed), waiting a long time for a sinner to repent instead of punishing him right away. The Teruah is a short sound, representing the attribute of Isaac, strict justice (din), and not having much patience with sinners. The Shevorim sound is middle length, between the lengths of the Tekiyah and Teruah, representing the attribute of Jacob, mercy (rachamim), between kindness and strict justice. This attribute was created at the akaida when Abraham prepared Isaac for a sacrifice, in order that the two opposite attributes chesed and din may coexist.
The order of blowing the ram's horn is in three units; Tekiyah Shevarim Tekiya, Tekiya Teruah Tekiya. Tekiya Shevorim-Teruah Tekiya. The Tekiya or attribute of kindness precedes and ends each unit, as a remembrance to judge us with kindness on Rosh Hashonah, the day of judgment.
9 The sefer (religious book) titled "Chyai Adam", states that sometimes on Yom Kippur God enters a decree about a person that is for many years. An example is, when a lingering illness is decreed on a person, or it is decreed that the person start a new enterprise. In these cases the individual is judged on the following Rosh Hashanah if to change the original decree.