Yehudah bar Nachman, in the name of Reish Lakish, opened [with the verse], "Elokim ascends with a teruah." (Ps. 47:6) When the Holy One gets up to sit on the throne of judgment, G-d ascends in judgment, as it is written [above]... But when Israel take up their Shofars and blow, the Holy One gets up from the throne of judgment and sits on the throne of compassion, as it is written, "YHVH with the sound of the Shofar." G-d overflows with compassion for them and has mercy on them, transforming the measure of judgment into a measure of compassion. When [does this occur]? "In the seventh month (Tishrei)." (Lev. 23:24)
In Midrashic and Kabbalistic nomenclature, the Names of G-d are associated with different aspects of the Divine. Elokim is associated with G-d's aspect of judgment, and YHVH (the Tetragrammaton) is associated with the aspect of compassion.
(ו) ...וּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא, בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא. דְּהָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מְחַבְּלָא.
(ז) הַאי בְּעוֹבָדָא, וּבְזִמְנָא דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ הַאי, כְּגוֹן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא, וּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא קַיְימִין עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעֵינָן מִלִּין, צְלוֹתִין וּבָעוּתִין, וּבָעֵינָן לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא (ס''א ברוחא ונפשא) כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְהָא אִתְּמַר, וּבְמָה. בַּשּׁוֹפָר. (לאחזאה שופר) לְאַתְּעָרָא שׁוֹפְרָא אַחֲרָא. וַאֲנָן מְפִיקִין בְּהַהוּא קָלָא, רַחֲמֵי וְדִינָא כַּחֲדָא, כֹּלָּא כַּדְקָא יָאוּת. כְּמָה דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹפָר עִלָּאָה, אַפִּיק קָלָא דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא כַּחֲדָא. וּלְאַתְעֲרָא רַחֲמֵי קָאַזְלֵינָן, וּלְתַּבְּרָא מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן בְּהַאי יוֹמָא. וְכַד רַחֲמֵי מִתְעָרִין, כֻּלְּהוּ בּוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין נַהֲרִין מֵהַאי גִּיסָא וּמֵהַאי גִּיסָא. כְּדֵין (משלי ט״ז:ט״ו) בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים.
...And in all this, as on the altar, we learn that one needs to present oneself in action, in order to be saved, so the Destroyer does not appear.
That is with action, but at times when action is required (or allowed, as on the Sabbath or holidays) like Rosh Hashanah, which is a day of judgment, when the wicked-tongued masters arise against Israel, one needs words: prayers and pleas, and we must appear in actu, as has been established.
And with what? With the Shofar. To present the Shofar and awaken another with it. With its sound, we bring out compassion and judgment to unite as one, all as it should be, just as the Shofar above emits a sound that includes all as one.We go out to awaken compassion and to shatter the masters of judgment, so they will not rule on this day. And when compassion is awoken, all supernal lamps are lit, shining on all sides, as in, "the light of the presence of the king of life." (Prov. 16:15)
NB: In Jewish demonology, Satan is actually a Hebrew term, but it is not a name. It actually refers to a role, which is why it appears as HA-Satan - the Satan. In Hebrew, it means "prosecutor," the angel that serves on the accusing side in the heavenly tribunal. So, Jewish angelology imagines the "devil" as a kind of cosmic district attorney.
In order to confuse - So [Satan] does not prosecute them. When he witnesses how much Israel loves the mitzvot, his words are stopped up.
כדי לערבב את השטן. פירש בערוך [כדאיתא] בירושל' בלע המות לנצח וכתיב והיה ביום ההוא יתקע בשופר גדול כד שמע קל שיפורא זימנא חדא בהיל ולא בהיל וכד שמע תניין אמר ודאי זהו שיפורא דיתקע בשופר גדול ומטא זימניה למתבלע ומתערבב ולית ליה פנאי למעבד קטגוריא:
In order to confuse the Satan - It is explained in the Aruch, as it is brought in the Jerusalem [Talmud], in the future, death will be swallowed up. It is written, "And on that day, a great Shofar will blast..." When the sound of the Shofar is heard the first time, some will quail, and some will not. But when it is heard the second time, [Satan] will say, "This has to be the Shofar blown [at the end of days], and my time has come to be swallowed up!" And he will be confounded, with no availability to instigate a prosecution.
(ח) אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בְּהַאי יוֹמָא אַעְטָּר יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כ״ב:א׳) וְהָאֱלקִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. מַאי נִסָּה. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו מ״ט:כ״ב) וְאֶל עַמִּים אָרִים נִסִּי. (שמות י״ז:ט״ו) וַיִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ה'' נִסִּי. מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן. בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתָּכְלִיל יְמִינָא וְאִשְׁתְּלִים. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהָאֱלֹקִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם. והָאֱלקִים דַּיְיקָא, ודָא הוּא (בראשית לא) וּפַחַד יִצְחָק...
לְבַּר נָשׁ, דְּהֲוָה רָגִיז, וְחָגַר וְזָיִין גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְנָפַק בְּרוּגְזֵיהּ לְקָטְלָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא. חַד חַכִּימָא קָם עַל פִּתְחָא, וְאָחִיד בֵּיהּ, אָמַר אִלְמָלֵא לָא אָחִיד בִּי וְאִתְתְּקַף בִּי, הָא קָטוּלָא בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח. בְּעוֹד דְּאִתְתָּקָפוּ דָּא בְּדָא, וְאָחִיד דָּא בְּדָא, אִצְטְנָן רוּגְזִיהּ עַל דְּנָפַק לְקָטְלָא. נָפַק לְאוֹכָחָא, מַאן סָבִיל רוּגְזָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּדִינָא דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ. הֱוִי אֵימָא, דָּא דְּקָאִים אֲפִּתְחָא.
(ב) כַּךָ אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּנַי, לָא תִּדְחָלוּן, הָא אֲנָא קָאִים עַל פִּתְחָא, אֲבָל אִזְדְּרָזוּ בְּהַאי יוֹמָא וְהָבוּ לִי חֵילָא. וּבְמָּה. בְּשּׁוֹפָר. דְּאִי אִשְׁתְּכַח קוֹל שׁוֹפָר כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וּמְכַוְּונֵי בֵּיהּ לְתַתָּא, הַהוּא קָלָא סָלִיק, וּבֵיהּ מִתְעַטְּרֵי אֲבָהָן, וְקַיְימֵי בְּמִשְׁכְּנֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא בְּשׁוֹפָרָא, וּלְמִנְדַּע בְּהַהוּא קָלָא וּלְכַוְּונָא (ביה).
R' Elazar said, "On [Rosh Hashanah], Isaac is crowned over Abraham, as it is written, "The Elokim tested Abraham." (Gen. 22:1) What does "tested" (nisah) mean? As it is written, "To the peoples, I will raise My banner (nisi)." (Is. 49:22) And: "He called its name Elokim Nisi (G-d is my banner)." (Ex. 17:15) What do we learn from this? That the right (side) is integrated and consummated, so it is written, "The Elokim tested Abraham," yes, that Elokim, the "Fear of Isaac."
This can be compared to a person who becomes angry, who girds himself and stormed out in rage to kill people. One sage got up and stood in the doorway, and made to grab him. He thought to himself, "If he's able to seize me and overpower me, then he'll kill anybody he comes across!" While they were struggling, grappling with each other, his rage cooled and instead of going out to murder, he went and yelled at people instead. Who suffered the rage and force of judgment from this person? One must admit: the one who stood in the door.
So, the Holy One says to Israel: "My children, do not be afraid! I will stand in the door! But brace yourselves this day and give Me strength." With what? With the Shofar. For if the Shofar sounds as it is supposed to, with all the intention that can be infused into it below, its sound will emanate and ascend, awakening the Patriarchs and establish the sanctuary of Jacob. This is why one must be vigilant with the Shofar, to understand its sound and with what it must be infused.
Remember how Elokim was associated with judgment? Besides that Name, the Patriarch Isaac is also associated with the Sefirah of Gevurah, which is another name for Din (judgment), while Abraham is associate with the Sefirah of Chesed.
Rosh Hashanah's being called the Day of Judgment maps to our reading the story of the Akedah, in which Isaac is featured and bound on the altar, as a way of binding the quality of judgment.
(יא) כְּתִיב (ויקרא כ''ה) וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ שׁוֹפָר תְּרוּעָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְגוֹ', שׁוֹפָר תְּרוּעָה אֲמַאי. אֶלָּא שׁוֹפָר, דְּמַתְבָּר שַׁלְשְׁלָאִין, דְּמַתְבָּר שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא מִכָּל עַבְדִּין. וּבַעְיָא לְאַחֲזָאָה שׁוֹפָר דְּאִיהוּ פָּשִׁיט, וְלָא כָּפִיף, לְאַחֲזָאָה חֵירוּ לְכֹלָּא, דְּהָא יוֹמָא גָּרִים. וּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא, וְעַל דָּא שׁוֹפָר, וְלָא קֶרֶן, בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה מַאן הוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי שׁוֹפָר.
(יב) זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּאִינּוּן יַדְעִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְאַתְעֲרָא חֵילָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּלְאַמְשָׁכָא קְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵיהוֹן עָלַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב (דברים ל״ג:כ״ט) אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ וְגוֹ'. (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה'' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם.
It is written, "You shall sound the Shofar blast (teruah) in the seventh month..." (Lev. 25:9) Why does it say "Shofar teruah?" It is a Shofar that breaks chains, that shatters the oppressive power over all slaves. One must present a Shofar that is straight, not curved, to demonstrate liberation for all, which is direct, on this day of actualization. In all things, one must present action, with this Shofar, not a "horn," to show Who is the Place that is called Shofar.
Fortunate is Israel in this world and in the world that is coming, for they know how to connect with the Holy King, to awaken the power above, and to draw down their Master's holiness upon them. By dint of this, it is written, "Happy is Israel; who is like you?" (Deut. 4:4) And: "You, who cleave to Hashem your G-d, are alive, every one of you, today!" (Deut. 33:29)