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 10, 2022
Every year, we invite guests into our sukkahs—literal company, as many of us will celebrate with fellow members of our Wise community throughout this week of celebration—and also visitors called ushpizin, an Aramaic word referring to guests we symbolically welcome into our sukkah on each of the seven nights of the holiday. While traditionally the biblical ushpizin visitors were all male—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David—the custom of welcoming biblical ushpizot—Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Hannah, Avigail, Huldah, and Esther—is now part of our practice, as well. The presence of these biblical ancestors is a meaningful way to weave their stories into our Sukkot conversations, as well as a beautiful emblematic reminder of how we might open our homes and hearts to any guest in need of a festive meal. We can also contemplate which other ushpizin and ushpizot from the past that we would want to symbolically invite into our space. Who would be the best guest for [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, October 7, 2022
This Shabbat is a breath between the heaviness of the Day of Atonement—with its focus on the difficult work of teshuvah (repentance) and s’licha (forgiveness)—and Sukkot, our Festival of Joy which, amongst other things, is a celebration of the fall harvest of grapes and olives, symbols of gladness and peace. Sukkot is also very much about gratitude. (Rabbi Sari's sermon from Kol Nidrei captures this beautifully and suggests how Sukkot is a "holiday of vulnerability" which can teach us to appreciate opportunities to build and re-build amidst the brokenness of our world.) As I reflect on the past few weeks, I am filled with thanks for our community, our leadership, and our staff. I am grateful to the thousands of you who joined us in person on our campus for the High Holy Days. You braved the traffic, trusted that there would be enough parking and enough shuttles (there were!), and you made your way [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, October 4, 2022
It is said that the Gates of Repentance, the Sha'arei Teshuvah, open during the High Holy Days. Maimonides, the famed medieval philosopher, taught extensively on teshuvah, making clear that repentance was not a one-time act, but rather an intricate process. According to his teaching, there are six steps to what he calls "complete repentance": Recognition, Remorse, Recitation, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Resolve. Throughout these High Holy Days, our kavanot, taken from our High Holy Day worship supplement, "Days of Awe" (available at our High Holy Day services and online by clicking HERE) will consist of reflections from your clergy on each of these six steps. Resolve by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback When I was visiting Israel this past summer, we met dear family friends in a park near our apartment. It was so much fun to catch up and spend time with their little boy and girl. Their daughter was born during the pandemic, so it was our first time meeting her. Nearby, we saw [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, October 3, 2022
It is said that the Gates of Repentance, the Sha'arei Teshuvah, open during the High Holy Days. Maimonides, the famed medieval philosopher, taught extensively on teshuvah, making clear that repentance was not a one-time act, but rather an intricate process. According to his teaching, there are six steps to what he calls "complete repentance": Recognition, Remorse, Recitation, Restitution, Reconciliation, and Resolve. Throughout these High Holy Days, our kavanot, taken from our High Holy Day worship supplement, "Days of Awe" (available at our High Holy Day services and online by clicking HERE) will consist of reflections from your clergy on each of these six steps. Reconciliation by Rabbi David Woznica The fifth step in Maimonides’ road to teshuva (repentance) is reconciliation. Until now, many of the steps have been focused on the needs of the one who sinned. Now we turn to the person against whom we sinned, intending to restore our relationship. We began with genuine remorse, made restitution, and now, acknowledging our sin specifically, we request [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, September 30, 2022
One of the most widely practiced traditions of our Day of Atonement is going without food or drink from sundown of Erev Yom Kippur through the end of our Ne'ilah prayers when we see three stars in the sky. This custom goes all the way back to Biblical times (Leviticus 23:27). Jewish law, however, makes exceptions to the fast for health reasons. If one's doctor instructs (or even if the individual feels it necessary to eat not simply because they are hungry, but for medical reasons), the obligation of fasting is suspended. Instead, it becomes obligatory to eat and drink for the purpose of saving a life (pikuach nefesh). The lesson is clear: As important as the spiritual component of the fast is for our process of making teshuvah, one's physical health is the ultimate value. A story is told about Rabbi Hayyim Soloveitchik of Brisk (1853-1918): He was once [...]