Daily Kavanot
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
Each weekday morning, members of our mailing list receive the “Daily Kavanah,” which includes messages of thought, inspiration, and contemplation from our clergy, along with a schedule of events. Every Thursday, the “Daily Kavanah” turns into “Eyes on Wise,” our weekly newsletter featuring the latest news, photos, videos, stories, and tikkun olam opportunities from our community. Sign up and don’t miss out!
Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 12, 2025
This week, Jews throughout the world read from parashat Emor. One of the few weekly Torah readings from the Book of Leviticus that contains narrative elements, Emor concludes with the tale of a man with an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father who curses using the name of God. When Moses seeks counsel, God seizes the opportunity to remind Moses that the Israelites should, “…have one standard for stranger and citizen alike, for I, Adonai, am your God (Leviticus 24:22).” Thus, the blasphemer is condemned to death by stoning. As we continue to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we discover that, throughout its history, the American Jewish community has left an indelible imprint upon the United States through its relentless efforts to help our country live up to the lofty standard set forth in Emor, both in our efforts to advance the rights and opportunities available in America to [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 9, 2025
A More Satisfying Life We live in a time of increasing disconnection. There are many reasons for this: The addictive and often isolating effects of social media. The lingering emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic—especially the loneliness, anxiety, and uncertainty it brought. A political discourse that’s grown coarser, more divisive, and less compassionate. Whatever the causes, the effects are deeply concerning. Recent Gallup “well-being” surveys show that overall life satisfaction is at a 25-year low in America, with the steepest decline among those under 30. We are lonelier. More anxious. Less hopeful about the future. And perhaps most tragically, less empathetic. But our tradition offers us a path forward. At the very heart of the Torah—both literally and spiritually—is a verse from this week’s parasha, K'doshim, that holds the power to transform our relationships, our communities, and even our inner lives: לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃ You shall [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 5, 2025
“You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2) This year, the beginning of Jewish American Heritage month (May) coincides with our preparation to read Parashat Kedoshim. In this coincidence, we are given a profound opportunity to reflect not only on who we are but on how we are meant to be, as Jews and too as Americans. Kedoshim is often called the "Holiness Code," a sacred blueprint of what it means to live a life of justice, dignity, and responsibility. But holiness in Judaism isn’t about distance from the world—it’s about engagement with it. Holiness lives in the field where we leave the corners for the poor, in the weights we keep honest in our businesses, in how we speak—with honesty, with truth, and with love. “You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Vayikra 19:16) is not a suggestion—it is a command to act. [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 2, 2025
Shabbat Shalom, On Tuesday evening I was honored to share words of greeting at the official Yom HaZikaron ceremony for the city of Los Angeles, co-sponsored with the Israeli Consulate and held at Stephen Wise Temple. Below is a translation of the remarks I delivered in Hebrew. — Rabbi Yoshi We gather here this evening, as a sacred community, united as one, to mark Yom HaZikaron—Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. This is not the only day of mourning on our calendar, but it is distinct and unique. On Yom HaShoah, just a few days ago, we mourned the six million murdered in the Holocaust and acknowledged the painful truth: Part of the terrible price we paid was because we did not have a state, and we did not have an army to defend us. But tonight, on Yom HaZikaron, we grieve a different loss: We mourn the soldiers [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, May 1, 2025
On this Yom HaAtzmaut, we mark 77 years since David Ben-Gurion stood in Tel Aviv and declared, “The State of Israel has arisen!” He proclaimed the Jewish People’s right “to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.” This moment was made possible in part by the global support expressed on November 29, 1947, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, voting 33 to 13 in favor of partitioning the land into separate Jewish and Arab states. While the Jewish leadership accepted the plan, the Arab leadership rejected it, sparking a regional conflict that, as we know, continues to this day. And yet, out of that deeply complex and painful chapter of history, the State of Israel was established — a beacon of hope and sovereignty for the Jewish People. With Ben-Gurion’s words and the UN vote, the dream of [...]