Nice clothing should be worn but not the nicest clothing.
Davening/ Shofar
• It’s more important to daven shachris than to daven mussaf.
• If you come to shul and they’re up to mussaf, you should still daven shachris yourself unless it’s after chatzos (approximately 12:50 pm in New York).
• Mussaf should preferably be davened before chatzos.
• Women are allowed to eat before hearing shofar.
• If you’re in Shul, there’s no talking from the Bracha before shofar until after the last tekiyos.
• Learning is allowed but it can’t be verbalized.
• Tehilim is allowed.
• Asher yatzar after using the bathroom is allowed.
• According to the basic Halacha, women are not required to hear the Shofar because it’s a time related mitzva. However over the years women have accepted upon themselves to hear Shofar.
• Because of this, women are only required to hear thirty sounds of the shofar.
• One set of tekia shvarim truah, tekiah shvarim tekiah, and tekiah truah tekiah is considered ten sounds. Three of each should be heard.
• For those not hearing all of the Shofar in Shul, hearing the Shofar before mussaf is better than hearing the Shofar during Mussaf. However, either one is fine.
• Ashkenazi women make a Bracha on Shofar. Sfardi women do not make a Bracha.
• If you haven’t heard the Bracha of the shofar, (for example, you came in middle of davening) then make the Bracha yourself right before you hear the shofar for the first time.
• It’s acceptable to hear the Shofar while standing in the hallway or outside the Shul.
• When hearing a private Shofar blowing, the women make the Brachos, not the one blowing the Shofar.
Candles
• First night Yom Tov, candles are lit like any other Yom Tov. They can be lit at anytime. As long as the fire comes from a preexisting flame. Shechayanu should be said unless you have a minhag otherwise.
• Because Rosh Hashana is one long day, there’s some doubt as to whether or not shechayanu should be said by candle lighting and kiddush on the second night. Therefore a new fruit should be on the table when lighting the candles.
• It’s preferable to light candles right before Kiddush.
• The new fruit should be on the table for candle lighting so that shechayanu can be said when lighting the candles.
• Those making kiddush themselves should preferably say Shechayanu at kiddush and not at candlighting.
