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 – Tuesday, June 20, 2023
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל Listen, Israel (Deuteronomy 6:4). My personal Jewish practice includes song and prayer and many different types of ritual. It also includes basic Jewish living, by which I mean both a deep love of reading and also a knack for worrying. Recently, I was reading an article about how chronic noise can cause health problems (giving me a chance to worry and read at the same time!). We all know that we can’t blast our headphones too loudly because it might cause damage to our eardrums, but we now also know that constant, unwelcome noise like traffic, engines, barks, or sirens can cause lasting and even damaging effects to our bodies. Sound, of course, enters our body through our ears, and unpleasant noise relays stress signals to our brains, causing our systems to break down, to overreact, to inflame. Without causing ourselves too much stress as we consider this, what [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, June 19, 2023
Two years ago this week, President Biden signed a bill formally acknowledging this day as the federal holiday of Juneteenth. Today we mark the significant anniversary of the order from General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for all slaves in Texas. As Jews, our celebration of freedom is not just integral to our Passover holiday but a core message of our Torah and a key component of Jewish expression. On all days, of course, but especially today, we can reflect on the light our tradition shines on the joys of freedom, to be our best selves and to exercise our free will. May this year's commemoration of Juneteenth be a refreshing and welcome reminder of the gifts of freedom we enjoy in this country, both as Americans and as Jews. May we celebrate the gift of independence for all, never taking it for granted. I hope you'll [...]
Daily Kavanah – Shabbat Message From Rabbi Yoshi – Friday, June 16, 2023
Just one week ago, I had a conversation with a colleague about changes in Jewish life and education. The conversation centered around confirmation, a practice now more than 200 years old in the Reform movement. As you walk down the main hallway in our Sanctuary building, you see photos of enormous classes—50-60 high school students every year—but, as the years go by, the classes become considerably smaller. One might infer that participation in post-b'nai mitzvah Jewish education at Wise has dwindled. Tell that to the nearly 100 teens I saw gathered in our Zeldin-Hershenson Hall for Camp Wise orientation this week. Tell that to the nearly 200 teens active in one or more of our programs, from serving as staff for Camp Wise during the spring and summer, to our Wise Readers to Leaders Junior Literacy Leaders, to our Wise Temple Youth members, to our Sunday morning madrichim. They come for all sorts of different reasons: [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, June 15, 2023
In this week’s Torah portion, Sh'lach Lecha, our ancestors allow the intimidating reports from their spies sent into the land of Canaan to discourage them from fulfilling God’s instructions to enter the land and seize it. In fact, the Torah suggests that the Israelites, dismayed by the prospects of invasion, resolve to return to Egypt for safety. In response, God condemns the Israelites to wander the desert for 40 years, until only Joshua and Caleb—the two spies who protest the Israelite complaints—remain to lead a new generation into Canaan. As we continue to pull threads from the rich tapestry of the tale of the spies, we discover an enduring lesson about culture: Necessary change often takes time, though that delay is not without consequence. Even after witnessing myriad signs of God’s power—from the Exodus itself, to Sinai, to the manna that sustained them in the desert—the Israelites immediately panic [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, June 14, 2023
In this week’s Torah portion, Sh'lach Lecha, our ancestors allow the intimidating reports from their spies sent into the land of Canaan to discourage them from fulfilling God’s instructions to enter the land and seize it. In fact, the Torah suggests that the Israelites, dismayed by the prospects of invasion, resolve to return to Egypt for safety. In response, God condemns the Israelites to wander the desert for 40 years, until only Joshua and Caleb—the two spies who protest the Israelite complaints—remain to lead a new generation into Canaan. Although we took note of the courage demonstrated by Joshua and Caleb in yesterday’s kavanah, the source of that courage can prove somewhat misleading. The Torah infers that their courage comes from blind faith when the two exclaim, “Their sheltering shade has left them [the Canaanites], and Adonai is with us! Do not fear them!” However, this exclamation only arrives [...]