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 – Thursday, September 29, 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. Restitution by Rabbi Ron Stern Have you ever heard someone say: "That's just the way I am, I can’t change!" or "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks." Those expressions and so many more fly in the face of the Jewish wisdom that underpins the very essence of Yom Kippur. Maimonides, the great medieval [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, September 28, 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. Remorse by Rabbi Sari Laufer In the course of the 25 hours of Yom Kippur, we will rise multiple times for the Vidui, for the confessional section of the service. And, as we do, we will confess 44 sins—failures of love, failures of justice, failures of truth. We are asked to own up to the things [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, September 27, 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. Remorse by Rabbi Josh Knobel .רָאוּי לוֹ לִבְכּוֹת וּלְקוֹנֵן עַל חֲטָאָיו וְעַל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה לְנַפְשׁוֹ וּגְמָלָהּ רָעָה It is fitting that one should cry and lament their sin, as well as what they did to their soul by repaying [its purity] with evil. —Mishneh Torah Repentance 5:2 According to the medieval sage, Maimonides, once we [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, September 26, 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. Recognition by Senior Cantor Emma Lutz There is a beautiful and well-known verse from Shir HaShirim: “אני לדודי, ודודי לי—I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3). The first letters of the words of the verse spell out the name of the month of אלול (Elul), our time to begin our process of repentance. We [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, September 23, 2022
Rabbi Yitzchok of Nadvorna was once sitting and chatting with a member of his community just a few days before Rosh Hashanah. Suddenly the man looked at his watch, stood up, and said, "Pardon me Rabbi, I have to go!" Rabbi Yitzchok asked him, "Where are you rushing off to?" The man said, "As you know Rabbi, I am the shaliach tzibor (worship leader) for the Rosh Hashanah services and I need to go over the machzor (High Holy Day prayer book) and make sure everything is in order." The rabbi said to him: "The machzor is in perfect order. Better to focus on making sure that your affairs are in order as well!" That’s the work of these days leading up to the New Year: We prepare ourselves to come before God as individuals and as a community in humility and penitence. We perform cheshbon hanefesh (an accounting of our souls) honestly, looking at ourselves in the mirror [...]