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, October 21, 2024
Today is the 5th day of Sukkot. Although the festival of Sukkot has evolved throughout the millennia, its significance to the Jewish household has waned with the passing of time. Surveys reveal that Jews across the world, including those in Israel, observe festivals such as Passover, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, or Hanukkah far more widely than Sukkot. This may have to do with the festival’s agrarian, rather than narrative, origins. Though Sukkot has evolved over time, it has always been a harvest festival looking for religious and national significance. The book of Leviticus makes a half-hearted claim that Sukkot represents a reenactment of the Israelite journey through the wilderness, even though every other mention of Israelite desert dwellings refers to their abodes as tents, not booths. Significant ritual events, including the dedication of the first and second Temples, as well as the first public reading of the Torah, were scheduled [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, October 18, 2024
When my kids were little, one of our favorite family activities each year was building and decorating our sukkah. As small children, they would help mainly with the decorations. One year, I got them little toy tools that they could use to help hammer pretend nails as Jacqueline and I put in the real ones at the same time. As they got bigger, they helped with both the building and the decorating. The tradition of decorating the sukkah is an example of hiddur mitzvah, the value of fulfilling the commandments in the most elevated way imaginable. By putting time and effort into making the sukkah beautiful, we show our love for our tradition. A story is told about Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz (1793-1876, Poland). Each year during the time when he could have been decorating the sukkah with his family, Rabbi Chaim would instead personally distribute tzedakah to those in need, going to the homes of members of his [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, October 17, 2024
One of the components of a Sukkah that makes it kosher is that it cannot be a permanent structure. The roof must be open enough so that stars can be seen through the covering even as it shades us from the sun. Though the walls needn’t be a natural substance, the roof itself must be. As part of the mitzvah, the Sukkah must be a place in which one can rejoice, so any decorative item (paintings, lighting) or furnishing (couches, rugs) that adds to one’s enjoyment is fair game! One is literally commanded to rejoice during Sukkot–Zman Simchateinu–the season of our rejoicing.I find myself thinking of a Sukkah when I pass by the numerous encampments of homeless people throughout our city. How different their temporary dwellings are from our Sukkot! Choosing to spend a celebratory week in the elements is so different from being forced to sleep on the sidewalk [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wedensday, October 16, 2024
Among the essential observances of Sukkot is the gathering of natural items endemic to the land of Israel. The Torah commands:On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God יהוה seven days. (Leviticus 23:40)Though we’ve come to identify these items as the three leafy items in the lulav (a palm frond, myrtle and willow branches) as well as the etrog, that connection was not always clear. Over time, however, the association strengthened and by the time of Bar Kochba (132-135 CE) those symbols were stamped on coins minted during the ill-fated yet legendary rebellion.Holding these natural objects in our hands, waving them in six directions (south, north, east, west, up, down) has unknown origins and yet we’ve accumulated a host of interpretations to give meaning to the action. Some suggest the beautiful [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, October 15, 2024
As a seven-day holiday that begins on the 14th day of the seventh (Tishrei) month, two weeks into the new year, Sukkot has always occupied a position of importance on the Jewish calendar. Recognizing the seven-day foundation of the week, it’s clear that Sukkot’s placement in the calendar is no coincidence. Simply called “The Holiday” He-Chag–Sukkot occupied an important agricultural place as it marked the end of the summer harvest and then hoped and prayed for beginning of the winter rains. It has been argued that Yom Kippur was actually a preparatory purification for the intense rituals surrounding Sukkot and its sacrifices. As an agricultural nation, dependent on the winter rains, the sacrifices and prayers of Sukkot were believed to be essential for those rains to arrive.Given Sukkot’s importance in the calendar, the layering of additional meanings on top of the original role should come as no surprise. Perhaps the most [...]