The Talmud on the Days of Awe and repentance

THIS WEEK'S DAF YOMI COLUMN BY ADAM KIRSCH IN TABLET: Can God Be Tricked Into Forgiving Unethical Behavior? Talmudic rabbis set out to debate the religious calendar, and wind up talking about religious sincerity. Excerpt:

The Gemara’s discussion of the first mishna in Tractate Rosh Hashanah extends all the way through page 15—an unusually long stretch of commentary. It is with the second mishna, on Rosh Hashanah 16a, that the rabbis turn their attention to the holiday’s spiritual significance. On Rosh Hashanha, we say every year, God inscribes us in the Book of Judgment, and on Yom Kippur he seals the judgment. During those 10 intervening days, Jews are supposed to pray urgently for God to judge them mercifully and not to write them down for a death sentence. That is why this period is known as the Days of Awe.

You don’t have to think about this system for very long, however, before some serious problems present themselves. ...

Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.