On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, it is preferable to light the candles before sunset, as is done on Friday evenings. If a woman forgot, she should light them on the night of the holiday, but only from a preexisting flame. On the second night of Rosh Hashanah, the candles are lit at night, before Kiddush, and women customarily wear a new garment or place a new fruit before them, in order to recite the blessing of Shehecheyanu without doubt.
It is forbidden to interrupt between the blessing and the performance of the mitzvah. Therefore, regarding the shofar, one should not speak at all from the beginning of the blessings until the conclusion of the tekiot meyushav (the “sitting shofar blasts”) before Musaf. From then until the end of the shofar blasts in Musaf, one may speak only about matters related to the shofar or the prayers, but not about anything else. During the blasts themselves, one must not speak at all, so that the sounds can be properly heard.
It is forbidden to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah without purpose—only to fulfill the obligation for others or to enable women to hear it. However, it is permitted to let children below bar-mitzvah age practice blowing, in order to train them.
Our Sages said: “One who sleeps on Rosh Hashanah—his fortune (mazal) sleeps.” Therefore, the custom is not to sleep during the daytime hours of Rosh Hashanah, nor to waste time on matters unrelated to Torah or prayer. Ideally, one should recite Tehillim at every free moment, for the day is holy to our Master. (Some authorities permit sleeping after midday.)
translated from Sichat HaShevua
