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, June 13, 2022
Last week we celebrated our festival of Shavuot, a holiday of sweet rejoicing in the reception of Torah, an occasion when we enjoy the rich deliciousness of dairy treats, and a time we always set aside for thoughtful learning. Personally, it has always been one of my favorite holidays; I celebrated my bat mitzvah on Shavuot, and I’ve always had a special affinity for Ruth, the biblical matriarch whose Book is read during this time of celebration and study. Ruth was a Moabite woman married to a Jewish man who died young. Rather than returning to her parents’ home, Ruth decided instead to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to her ancestral home. At first, Naomi tells Ruth not to follow her, but Ruth famously replies: אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי־בִ֔י לְעׇזְבֵ֖ךְ לָשׁ֣וּב מֵאַחֲרָ֑יִךְ כִּ֠י אֶל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֵּלְכִ֜י אֵלֵ֗ךְ וּבַאֲשֶׁ֤ר תָּלִ֙ינִי֙ אָלִ֔ין עַמֵּ֣ךְ עַמִּ֔י וֵאלֹהַ֖יִךְ אֱלֹהָֽי׃ "Do not ask me to leave you; for wherever you [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, June 10, 2022
Yesterday we celebrated the graduation of our Wise School 6th graders. It’s one of the most inspiring days of the year for me. Our school does a magnificent job of honoring our students and their teachers in an engaging, entertaining fashion that includes music, choreography, and uplifting messages built in part around our educational theme for that particular year. This year’s Wise School theme was Nivra B’Tzelem: Our Creativity Is Godly. The Hebrew text is taken from the Mishna, the foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism, which was put into its final form about 1800 years ago. Here’s the full verse which is taught in the name of the great sage Rabbi Akiva: .הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם He [Rabbi Akiva] used to say: Beloved is humanity for they were created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is humanity for it was made known [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, June 9, 2022
According to our tradition, Shavuot—which we celebrated on Sunday—is the day on which God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. Shavuot also marks the barley harvest and the harvest of the first fruits. This week I will share thoughts on four verses in the Torah which impact my life. The Mezuzah “And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:9) Mezuzah means “doorpost” in Hebrew. It is one of the ways we define a Jewish home. Mezuzot are handwritten by a scribe with custom ink and quill on the parchment of a kosher animal. It contains the words of the Shema and on the reverse side the scribe writes “Shaddai,” one of the names by which God is called in the Torah. The case surrounding the mezuzah exists for the sole reason of protecting the parchment. It should be affixed to the right side of the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, June 8, 2022
According to our tradition, Shavuot—which we celebrated on Sunday—is the day on which God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. Shavuot also marks the barley harvest and the harvest of the first fruits. This week I will share thoughts on four verses in the Torah which impact my life. The Poor and The Stranger “And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you collect the [fallen] individual grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord, your God." (Leviticus 19:10) This Torah verse shows the obligation to help the poor and the stranger. That such a verse exists suggests that God understood that there would be people in need and that it is the responsibility of others to help. Yet the Torah goes further, as it gives us a specific way to do so: Leave this food for [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, June 7, 2022
On Sunday we celebrated Shavuot, the time when—according to Jewish tradition—Moses received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. It was a transformative moment in history. Additionally, in Israel, it is the time of the harvest of grain. This week I will share thoughts on four verses in the Torah which impact my life. Truth Ask a group of friends to list the Ten Commandments and there’s a good chance the least likely to be remembered will be the ninth, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:19) This was a prohibition against lying in court (“witness” makes that clear). Judaism understood the importance of the integrity of the court. If society loses faith in the justice system, even a decent society can collapse. In fact, the penalty for a person being a false witness is specified in the Torah: The witness would receive the same punishment that would [...]