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The day of Rosh Hashanah is the day that Isaac was elevated and bound on the altar to be offered as a sacrifice. This is because it is the day of strict judgment, which is elevated to its highest level on that day when all pass before the King in judgment.

The Divine attribute of forgiveness and mercy is indicated in Kabbala by the beard, which bypasses the usual channel of the throat. This signifies G-d's great mercy in bypassing the usual "rules" He has set up for creation, instead granting us mercy and forgiving us.

"And the Eternal, your G-d, will circumcise your heart."

Lust and desire are the "foreskin" of the heart; circumcision of the heart means that it will not covet or desire evil. In the days of the Mashiach, the choice of genuine good will be natural; the heart will not desire what is improper. Man will return at that time to what he was before the sin of Adam when there were no conflicting desires in his will.

Righteous Jews strive to further the unity of G‑d's Holy Name in the world even in their worldly affairs. The average Jew's concern is denial of physical pleasures, but his actions don't herald the glory of the King. The wicked come under the seduction of the Evil Inclination, becoming mired in an abyss of vice and gluttony, eventually being consumed by them.

We must perform the commandment of teshuva (repentance) with all our heart and soul. One must now transcend his normal, operative self that allowed him to sin and seek a deeper, more essential layer of his identity where G-d means more to him than the indulgences to which he has become accustomed.

This Shabbat is the last Shabbat of the year, an excellent opportunity to correct any lacking in our Shabbat observance in the past year.

The Zohar teaches that Shabbat is the vessel for blessings of the week that follows it. Therefore, how we maximize this coming Shabbat will have a qualitative impact on how we spend Rosh Hashanah, in turn having a positive affect for the entire new year, G-d willing.