Rabbi Yehuda said, "Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) before the Holy One, Blessed be He: One of wholly righteous people; and they are immediately written and sealed for life. One of middling people; and they are left with their judgment suspended from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). If they merit, they are written for life; if they do not merit, they are written for death." Rabbi Avin said, "What is the verse [that alludes to this]? 'Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, but not be written with the righteous' (Psalms 69:29)." "One of wholly wicked people; they are immediately written and sealed for death." Lest you say, "Behold we see that [some] wicked people live long lives and [some] righteous people do not live long!" [Hence] Rabbi Yochanan says, "[This is talking about] wholly righteous people and wholly wicked people." Or perhaps it is speaking about the judgement of the Garden of Eden and Geihinnom after their death. It was learned [about the latter]: Beit Shammai says, "Three groups will pass by on the Day of Judgment: One of wholly righteous people, one of wholly wicked people, and one of middling people. Wholly righteous people will immediately be written for the Garden of Eden; wholly wicked people immediately for Geihinnom. Middling people will descend to Geihinnom and they will cry out and ascend, as it is stated (Zechariah 13:9), "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried." And about them, Channah said (I Samuel 2:6), "The Lord kills, and gives life; he brings down to the grave, and brings up." Beit Hillel says, "'And abundant in kindness' (Exodus 34:6) tilts the scales in favor of kindness [for the middling people]. And about them, David said (Psalms 116:1), 'I love the Lord, Who hears my voice and my supplications.'" Rava said, "That which is written, 'I love the Lord, Who hears my voice" - the Congregation of Israel said before the Holy One, Blessed be He, 'When am I beloved in front of You? When You hear the voice of my supplications. Although 'I am poor' in mitzvot (commandments), nevertheless it is fitting to 'save me.'" A matron asked Rabban Gamliel, "In your Torah, it is written (Deuteronomy 10:17), '[God...] Who shows no favor nor takes graft'; yet it written (Numbers 6:26), 'The Lord shall show favor to you and give you peace!'" Rabbi Yose the Priest joined in and said, "It is not difficult. Here it is about sins between a person and his fellow; but there it is about sins between a person and his Maker." [That was] until Rabbi Akiva came and taught, "Here it is before the sentence is issued; there it is after the sentence has been issued" (see Bamidbar Rabbah 11). Rav Shmuel bar Oniya said in the name of Rav, "From where [do we know] that the sentence of a community is never sealed?" But isn’t it written (Jeremiah 2:22), "the stain of your iniquity [is before Me]" (implying that the sentence of a community can be sealed). Rather, "[From where do we know that] although it is sealed, it can still be torn up?" As it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:7), "As is the Lord our God whenever we call out to Him." But behold, it is written (Isaiah 55:6), "Seek the Lord while He may be found!" There it is about an individual. And when is He close? During the Ten Days of Repentance, which are between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.