Rosh Hashannah Focus and Tips

On Rosh Hashannah, we're commanded to have four good meals, but the holiday isn't supposed to be about food. 

This year it's both easier and harder, since the first of the two-day holiday is Shabbat, when it's forbidden to cook.  All the food must be prepared in advance and can be heated up in specified ways.  We're supposed to concentrate on our prayers, but on Shabbat, there is no shofar blowing.  The sound of the shofar is supposed to shake us to our core.  We must try to reach that spiritual level on the prayers alone.

Each day of Rosh Hashannah is considered separate, and you aren't supposed to cook on day one for day two, even when day one isn't Shabbat.  The menu for that third meal, the second night, should be prepared with that in mind.  It's a good time to serve fish, also, since four meat/poultry meals in 48 hours are too many for most people.  Fish heats quickly or can be eaten cold, like Geffilte Fish.  I cooked ours last week, and it's waiting in the freezer.  Yes, you can freeze geffilte fish.

To enjoy the holiday, the way it should be enjoyed, do the cooking in advance.  There's no mitzvah is wasting time in the kitchen, neither for women or men.

Another couple of things:
Here in Shiloh many young couples with little kids take advantage of the fact that there's a very early morning minyan (prayer service,) so the husband usually prays there and then hurries home to relieve his wife of child care, so she can go to a later one.
A tip for those bringing babies and young children to synagogue:
Bring silent toys (no rattles) for the children to play with.  You need a "bag of tricks" to keep your children busy and quiet.  Don't forget the noshes, neither sticky nor crunchy, please, and of course, clean up before you leave.

Shana Tova!

Have  Wonderful Year!