In a talk during the days of Selichos, Maran HaRav Shach said: "If we continue to conduct ourselves before them, and say that those are days of forgiveness, we must ask ourselves why they are called thus? Why are these days of forgiveness? Where is your guarantee that they encompass forgiveness?
You imagine that if it was so in the past, it will continue thus in the future. Whatever took place a year ago, and five years ago, will be the same in the coming year as well. Is this not making a farce of them? If so, it is a very terrible thing. It means that we are not taking things seriously at all.
But Hashem expects us to conduct ourselves earnestly, that one's decisions and resolutions be regarded with sincerity and that our deeds be worthy, that we realize what Rosh Hashonoh truly represents, and how, accordingly, we must behave on Rosh Hashonoh as if it was a unique and single opportunity. The same applies to Yom Kippur: we must regard it as an only and very special day, not to be repeated. Is this how we think of these days?
We must not approach these days as if our forgiveness is a sure thing, already safe in our pockets. Whoever believes that forgiveness and clemency is automatic must realize that it is not so simple and guaranteed for sure. The world is sunken in troubles; we have been through wars in which millions of people died, and individuals today suffer all kinds of difficulties and hardships.
Someone who is close to many individuals will discover that even one who appears to have everything going for him — he is wealthy and settled — has plenty of worries and problems as well.
A renowned professor came to me with his wife and confessed that he was altogether broken. He has everything he could want; he has children but does not know how they will turn out. He has everything — but feels he has nothing, that his life is not worth living. Everything seems good — but nothing is really good.
No one in the whole world is truly happy and there is a price for everything. When can a person be happy? Only when he realizes that there is a Creator and that everything depends and comes from Him alone. Such a person can be happy at all times and with every circumstance.
Each person faces the same court of judgment. He, his father and mother, the entire family, brothers and sisters, wife and children — all or partially may be included in a harsh decree. We have seen how entire families were destroyed in the past without leaving a single survivor. Cities and even countries have been wiped out.
This is not dependent upon the judgment of Rosh Hashonoh alone. Do we not feel obligated to face the days of Selichos with the necessary emotions and trepidation? If we do not have pity on our own selves, let us at least be fearful for our families. We must feel moved, awed, frightened.
