Rosh Hashanah 16B

ותוקעין ומריעין כשהן עומדין ⁠— כדי לערבב השטן.

and then sound again a tekia and a terua while they are standing in the Amida prayer? He answers: In order to confuse the Satan, for this double blowing of the shofar demonstrates Israel’s love for the mitzva, and this will confuse Satan when he brings his accusations against Israel before the heavenly court, and the Jewish people will receive a favorable judgment.

ואמר רבי יצחק: כל שנה שאין תוקעין לה בתחלתה ⁠— מריעין לה בסופה. מאי טעמא ⁠— דלא איערבב שטן.

And R' Yitzḥak said, playing on the double meaning of the word meri’in, which can mean either sound a terua or cause misfortune: Any year during which, due to some mishap, the shofar was not sounded at its beginning will suffer evil and misfortune at its end. What is the reason? Because Satan was not confused, and he was able to put forward his accusations, so that the Jewish people would be punished.

ואמר רבי יצחק: כל שנה שרשה בתחלתה ⁠— מתעשרת בסופה, שנאמר: ״מראשית השנה״⁠ — ״מרשית״ כתיב. ״ועד אחרית״⁠ — סופה שיש לה אחרית.

§ The Talmud brings a series of statements in the name of R' Yitzḥak, all of which relate to judgment: And R' Yitzḥak said: Any year that is poor [rasha] and troubled at its beginning will be made rich at its end, for it is stated: “From the beginning [mereishit] of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). The word meireishit is written defectively, without an alef, so that it may also be understood in the sense of rashut, poverty. The verse continues: “And until the end [aḥarit] of the year,” which means that the end of the year will have expectations of good things in the end [aḥarit].

ואמר רבי יצחק: אין דנין את האדם אלא לפי מעשיו של אותה שעה, שנאמר: ״כי שמע אלהים אל קול הנער באשר הוא שם״.

And R' Yitzḥak said: A man is judged only according to his deeds at the time of his judgment, and not according to his future deeds, as it is stated with regard to Ishmael: “For God has heard the voice of the lad where he is” (Genesis 21:17). Although Ishmael and his descendants would act wickedly in the future, his prayer was heard and answered because he was innocent at the time.