Days of Awe, Days of Joy

The first ten days of the year, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur, are called "the Ten Days of Repentance." But the commentaries liken the seven days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Chol Hamoed - as if they were intermediate days of a joyous Festival. How can these days of awe be joyful days at the same time?

Rosh Hashanah is a day when "the joy of G-d is your strength." The Alter Rebbe explains this with the verse "serve G-d with joyous trepidation": Having returned to G-d throughout the month of Elul, G-d has forgiven us by the time Rosh Hashanah arrives. From Rosh Hashanah and on, we remain in great awe, yet our inner joy grows within us, as we are now free to focus on reaching higher and higher, to G-d.