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, December 9, 2022
This week's Torah portion tells of the dramatic reunion of Jacob and his brother Esau. Part of the drama is that Jacob worries, with good reason, that his slightly older brother would harm him physically. When last they were together, Jacob had just stolen his brother's blessing, and Esau vowed to kill him. The reunion goes more smoothly than Jacob could have imagined, and after parting ways, our Torah tells us that Jacob arrived at his destination, Beer Sheva, "whole (shalem)." The great medieval sage, Rashi (1040-1105), interprets the word "whole," from the Hebrew root "shalom," as follows: "His body was whole; he was cured of his limp. His finances were whole; he had lost nothing by the gift that he had made to his brother Esau. His Torah was whole; he had not forgotten his learning while he was in Laban's house." A contemporary scholar, Aviva Zornberg, notes something profound [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, December 8, 2022
Like most Jewish kids, Hanukkah was my favorite holiday growing up. I loved everything about it: the decorations, the gifts, the fried food, and of course getting to play with fire. As an adult, I have a harder time with it. Of course I still love all of those things, but I wrestle with the story and how to teach it to my students. As modern Jews in the Reform Movement, we have embraced assimilation and a way of life that lets us fit into secular society. In a way, we are a modern version of the Hellenist Jews who chose to assimilate to the Greek way of life, something that the Maccabees would not tolerate because it had never been done successfully. In the Maccabees’ experience, people were either loyal to their god and their temple, or they weren't. The Maccabees even fought and killed Jews who assimilated, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Returning to Places of Connection "I am sitting In the morning At the diner On the corner I am waiting At the counter For the man To pour the coffee …" (Tom's Diner) There's a small diner in Brooklyn on the corner of Washington Avenue and Sterling Place called Tom's Diner. Passing by, you might not think much of it. Its interior consists of an eclectic collection of nicknacks, signed headshots, and antique Christmas decorations. Its exterior simply reads "Restaurant." As a child, I would go there almost every Sunday morning with my mom and dad. I'd sit there eating my chocolate chip pancakes and recounting the week as my parents ate their omelets and sipped their hot coffees. As the years went on, my chocolate chip pancake order stayed the same, but now it was just my mom and I who sat at our table recounting our week [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, December 6, 2022
One of the most famous piyyutim (liturgical poems) for Hanukkah is “Maoz Tzur.” Thought to have been written during the Crusades in the 13th century, this piyyut is an acrostic poem with the first five stanzas spelling out the name of the composer, Mordechai (מרדכי) and ending with the acrostic chazak (חזק) meaning “strong.” “Maoz Tzur” recalls several stories of the Jewish people being attacked by their neighbors and their eventual victories; first of the exodus from Egypt, then the end of the Babylonian exile, the story of Pruim, and finally the Hasmonaen victory in the Hanukkah story. In the late 1960s, inspired by this piyyut, the famous Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer wrote the song "Shivchei Maoz." Inspired and moved by the words of “Maoz Tzur,” Shemer wrote this rendition after the War of Attrition. She saw a great connection between the Jewish piyyut and the military positions that [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, December 5, 2022
If you ask any rabbi or cantor, they will tell you that one of the most gratifying parts of their jobs is seeing their students' growth through the b'nai mitzvah process. As a cantorial intern, a lot of my time is spent teaching these students as they study to become Bat or Bar Mitzvah, and sometimes I am fortunate enough to lead the service itself, where I get to witness firsthand the culmination of all their hard work and preparation. Regardless of how much of the service is led by my students, how proficient they are in Hebrew, or of how well they sing, chant, or speak, when it is all over, each of them will be seen as equal members of the Jewish community. Each of them will be considered an adult, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. I remind my students that having a bar or [...]