א"ר כרוספדאי א"ר יוחנן שלשה ספרים נפתחין בר"ה אחד של רשעים גמורין ואחד של צדיקים גמורין ואחד של בינוניים צדיקים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר לחיים רשעים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר למיתה בינוניים תלויין ועומדין מר"ה ועד יוה"כ זכו נכתבין לחיים לא זכו נכתבין למיתה
R' Kaspodai said in the name of R' Yochanan: Three books are opened on Rosh Hashana. One of absolute sinners, one of absolute tzadikim, and one of beinonim (in-betweeners). ... Absolute tzadikim--written and sealed immediately for life. Absolute sinners--written and sealed immediately for death. Beinonim are held in the balance and stand from Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur. ... If they succeed--written for life. If they do not succeed--written for death.
Days are scrolls. Write on them only what you want to be remembered.
Your Book of Life doesn’t begin today, on Rosh Hashanah. It began when you were born. Some of the chapters were written by other people: your parents, siblings, and teachers. Parts of your book were crafted out of experiences you had because of other people’s decisions: where you lived, what schools you went to, what your homes were like. But the message of Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of the creation of the world, is that everything can be made new again, that much of your book is written every day — by the choices you make. The book is not written and sealed; you get to edit it, decide what parts you want to emphasize and remember, and maybe even which parts you want to leave behind. Shanah tovah means both a good year, and a good change. Today you can change the rest of your life. It is never too late.
וא"ר יצחק ד' דברים מקרעין גזר דינו של אדם אלו הן צדקה צעקה שינוי השם ושינוי מעשה
And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person’s sentence is torn up on account of four types of actions. These are: Giving charity, crying out in prayer, a change of one’s name, and a change of one’s deeds for the better.
מקרעין
makri'in = to tear up
מעבירין
ma'avirin = transform
But teshuvah, prayer and tzedakah avert the severity of the decree.