One of the famous questions on Rosh Hashana is where is the mention of sin, the teshuva, it does after all make up the first 2 days of repentance? Rabbenu Yonah at the beginning of Yesod Hateshuva (usually printed in the back of Sharey Teshuva) says that in order to teshuva, one must first ignore the past, dedicate toward a better future and only then dwell on the past. One cannot come into Rosh Hashana, a new year, traumatized from their errors of last year. One must view themselves as having a clean slate, be ממליך ה, accept a brighter future and then throughout the rest of the repentance days one can fill in the charatah of the past. This is not a false mind game, that is the truth of teshuvah.
That is also answers the question of why Rosh Hashana precedes Yom Kippur. One can't do teshuvah for the past, before starting fresh and anew.
That is why every year we renew "our faith." It seems hypocritical, every year new kabaalot, last year's is already long gone in the garbage? Things age and become decrepit and stale in the world. That is the nature. Precisely because of this, Hashem gave us Rosh Hashana to start fresh, and renew our self. We don't focus on what happened last year, we infuse ourselves with new energy and the kabbalah is new and will last however long it does. (See Rav Yeruchem on Elul volume 2 #63.) [ Based upon a shmuz from Rabbi Elefant.]
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