Daily Kavanah2025-04-25T11:46:14-07:00

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 – Friday, May 23, 2025

We are in mourning.We are scared.We are angry.On Wednesday night, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., two Israeli embassy employees—Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky—were murdered in cold blood. They were attending an event focused on something deeply human and deeply Jewish: a gathering organized by the American Jewish Committee, whose theme was “Turning Pain Into Purpose,” and which included conversations about providing humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.And still—they were targeted.Because the murderer was looking for Jews to kill.The rhetoric, the lies, the distortions of the past 595 days—which began while the massacre of October 7 was still unfolding—have led us directly to this point.Cries to “globalize the intifada.”Accusations of genocide.Slanders that erase Jewish suffering and invert moral truth.It has all created fertile ground for hatred—and now, for murder.How do we respond?We mourn.We rage.We tremble.And we turn to Torah, to our sacred tradition, to the wisdom that has [...]

May 23rd, 2025|Comments Off on Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 23, 2025

Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 19, 2025

The week ahead is rich with meaning and sacred rhythm. This Shabbat is Mevarchim Chodesh Sivan—the moment when we bless the coming month of Sivan, a time that holds the festival of Shavuot and is deeply tied to themes of wisdom and revelation. The arrival of Sivan invites us to recall the collective memory of Sinai, when our People stood as one and embraced the weight and beauty of sacred responsibility. What does it mean to belong to a People today? What are our responsibilities—to each other, to our community, to Israel, to Jews around the world? As we look toward the new moon and the spiritual unfolding of this month, may we each find time to reflect on our commitments, renew our intentions, and recommit ourselves to learning, connection, and shared purpose. As we approach the month of Sivan, we read the double portion Behar-Bechukotai, which concludes the book of Leviticus. [...]

May 19th, 2025|Comments Off on Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 19, 2025

Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 16, 2025

Almost thirty-three years ago, I moved to Israel to begin rabbinical school. Just before I left, my mother gave me the name of a distant cousin, Mnashe, and encouraged me to contact him once I arrived. A few months later—after some gentle prodding—I finally visited him and his family. At the end of the evening, he handed me a gift: a Torah commentary written by his grandfather, Rabbi Eliezer Davidovits, who was murdered in the Shoah. Until then, this chapter of my family’s past was unfamiliar to me. I came to understand what the book represented and translated it into English for my rabbinic thesis. Since then, I’ve shared Rabbi Eliezer’s insights in sermons; his teachings continue to shape my rabbinate. Learning about Mnashe’s journey has touched me deeply. In one of our final conversations, he told me how, in June 1944, the Jews of his town were deported [...]

May 16th, 2025|Comments Off on Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 16, 2025

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 [...]

May 12th, 2025|Comments Off on Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 12, 2025

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 [...]

May 9th, 2025|Comments Off on Daily Kavanah – Friday, May 9, 2025
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