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The Custom of Tashlikh is Designed to Appease the Devil

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Tag-MehirTzedek:

http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/list-audio-shiurim/35-hagim/412-the-custom-of-tashlikh-is-designed-to-appease-the-devil

muman613:
The sounding of the Shofar is designed to confuse HaSatan also...

muman613:
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/parsha/kornfeld/archives/shavuot58.htm

In Rosh Hashanah (16b) the Gemara tells us that we repeatedly blow the Shofar (ram's horn) on Rosh Hashanah, although the Torah requires us to blow it only once, in order to "confound the Satan." In what away does blowing the Shofar confound Satan and prevent him from interfering with our pleas for mercy? Tosafot, citing Midrashic sources, explains as follows. In the End of Days, Hashem will "slay the Angel of Death" (Yeshayah 25:8). The coming of the End of Days will be signaled by a loud, long Shofar blast (Yeshayah 27:13). When Satan, who doubles as the Angel of Death, hears our long series of Shofar blasts, he is immediately gripped by the fear that his time has come. Because of this, explains the Midrash, he keeps a low profile until after we finish our prayers.

When the Torah was given on Mt. Sinai, it was accompanied by a series of extremely loud Shofar blasts (Shemot 19:16,19). Perhaps these Shofar blasts, like those of the Shofar of Rosh Hashanah, "frightened the Satan away" so that he would not intervene and prevent the Torah from being given.

II
The Shofar of Rosh Hashanah actually has good reason to cause the Satan distress. Rambam writes (Hil. Teshuvah 3:7), "Although we blow the Shofar [on Rosh Hashanah] simply because the Torah directed us to do so, there is an implied lesson in the Torah's directive. The blast of the Shofar is telling us, "Wake up from your slumber! Review your deeds, repent, and remember your G-d in heaven! Look out for yourselves and change your ways!" Satan has no power over us when our attitude is one of repentance and G-d- fearingness, he is effectively rendered impotent by our Shofar blasts.

In fact, the "slaughter of the Evil Inclination" (Sukah 52a), or the "slaughter of the Angel of Death" (Yeshayah 25:8) at the End of Days may be allegorically explained in a similar fashion. When the Final Redemption takes place, "the world will be filled with the fear of heaven as the sea is filled with water" (Yeshayah 11:9). All will be able "point to the Presence of Hashem with their finger and say, 'This is my G-d!'" (Yeshayah 25:8; Ta'anit 31a). At that time, nobody will be tempted to sin since the presence of the Creator, and the consequence of sin, will be evident to all. Effectively, the Evil Inclination will have been slaughtered.

This process begins with a loud Shofar blast. When a king travels, a loud trumpet fanfare precedes the king's arrival. When Hashem reveals His Presence for all to see, it will also be preceded by the Shofar blast of the End of Days. That blast will bring an end to the Satan and the Evil Inclination.

Tag-MehirTzedek:
confuse and "appease" are different things.

edu:
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch gives different reasons for Tashlich (or as you spelled it Tashlikh)
Here is a summary. To recall the binding (Akeida) of Yitzchak that according to one midrash when Avraham (Abraham) went with Yitzchak (Isaac) to fulfill this very difficult request by G-d, the accuser (Satan) made himself like a river and Avraham went through the river up to his neck (in water) to continue on in his difficult mission to do G-d's will.
A second reason he brings is that Kings were annointed by rivers and we are symbolically participating in the coronation of a G-d as king of the world on Rosh Hashana.
Still another explanation is that it is a symbolic act to encourage us to remember to toss away our sins by repentance and examining our ways.
קיצור שולחן ערוך סימן קכט

סעיף כא
לאחר תפלת מנחה הולכין אל הנהר (לזכור זכות העקידה דאיתא במדרש כשהלך אברהם אבינו עם יצחק בנו לעקידה עשה השטן את עצמו כמו נהר לעכבו ועבר אברהם אבינו עליו השלום בנהר עד צוארו ואמר הושיעני אלהים כי באו מים עד נפש, ועוד יש טעם מפני שאנו ממליכים היום את הקדוש ברוך הוא עלינו והדרך הוא למשוח את המלכים אצל הנהר לרמז שתמשך מלכותו) וטוב שיהיה מחוץ לעיר ויש בו דגים (לזכר שאנו משולים כדגים חיים שנאחזים במצודה כך אנו נאחזים במצודת המות והדין, ומתוך כך נהרהר יותר בתשובה. עוד טעם סימן שלא ישלוט בנו עין הרע כמו בדגים ונפרה ונרבה כדגים. ויש אומרים הטעם, כי לדגים אין גבינים ועיניהם תמיד פתוחות, כדי לעורר עינא פקיחא דלעילא) ואם אין שם נהר שיש בו דגים הולכין לנהר אחר או לבאר ואומרים הפסוקים מי אל כמוך וכו' ככתוב בסידורים סדר תשליך ומנערים שולי הבגדים והוא לרמז בעלמא ליתן לב להשליך את החטאים ולחפש ולחקור דרכיו מהיום והלאה שיהיו בגדיו לבנים ונקיים מכל חטא. אם חל יום ראשון בשבת הולכין ביום שני.
I do not know what is the Sephardic attitude towards Tashlich. Ashkenazim in general perform the Tashlich service, however if I remember correctly, the Vilna Gaon thought Tashlich causes a waste of time from Torah Study

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