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, September 14, 2021
As we move through these Days of Awe, we hope that these readings and excerpts from Sha’ar HaShamayim, our Stephen Wise Temple machzor, will deepen your worship and High Holy Days experience. We are entering the holiest moments of the Jewish year. For Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur to have their greatest meaning, it is not the words of the rabbi, the voice of the cantor, or the prayers in the machzor that are paramount. Those words, melodies, and prayers, we trust, will inspire us to stand uncovered before God, discovering the deepest recesses of our souls. We ask forgiveness for our sins from those we have wronged and then seek forgiveness from God. During services we pray, sing, study—at times we may laugh and even cry. Ultimately, the deepest meaning of these hours comes from that inner voice that begs permission to be heard. The power of this day is in our hands. [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, September 13, 2021
As we move through these Days of Awe, we hope that these readings and excerpts from Sha’ar HaShamayim, our Stephen Wise Temple machzor, will deepen your worship and High Holy Days experience. The purpose of these Holy Days is to release the Divine Sparks within ourselves through the act of self-repair, tikkun atzmi. There is holiness inside each of us. There is a spark of the Divine within. May our sincere repentance, our heartfelt worship, and our righteous giving help to bring healing and repair to our broken souls so that we—renewed and restored—can bring repair to the world. — Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Daily Kavanah – Friday, September 10, 2021
A story is told about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditzev (1740-1809). One year, a few days before Yom Kippur, he was standing in his study, gazing out the window. He saw an itinerant handyman walking up the street carrying his bag of tools looking for work and shouting "Who has something in need of repair? Who has something that needs fixing?" At that moment, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak fell to the floor and cried out… "Oy! Woe is me! And woeful is my soul! The Day of Judgment is upon me and I still have not repaired myself!" Broken vows. Broken relationships. A broken world. Sometimes it feels like there is brokenness all around us. Now is the time for repair, for tikkun. For the Jewish mystics, known as the Kabbalists, prayer is the beginning of tikkun. We reflect on the person we wish to be, the world we wish to inhabit, and [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, September 9, 2021
As we move through these Days of Awe, we hope that these readings and excerpts from Sha’ar HaShamayim, our Stephen Wise Temple machzor, will deepen your worship and High Holy Days experience. Source of Blessing, we give thanks for the myriad of miracles that You bestow upon us daily. As we humbly ask for Your blessings upon this sacred community, we acknowledge Your blessings that even now fill our lives with wonder and meaning. May we rejoice in the splendor of Your creation. May we commit ourselves to preserving this world and its inhabitants. May we appreciate the love and encouragement of those close to us. May we earn the trust, respect, and friendship of our fellow humans, near and far. May we delight in true companionship and understanding. May we open our hearts and minds to one another. — Rabbi Josh Knobel
Daily Kavanah – Monday, September 6, 2021
As we enter these Days of Awe, we hope that these readings and excerpts from Sha’ar HaShamayim, our Stephen Wise Temple machzor, will deepen your worship and High Holy Days experience. We are gathered here on the eve of a New Year to reaffirm our ties to one another and our place in the eternal arc of history. On this day, we dare to dream of a bright future for ourselves, our families, and our world. On this day, we dare to challenge the world as it is and imagine the world that can yet be. On this day we affirm that our actions matter. Each small step forward brings us closer to realizing our vision of a world redeemed. Help us to open our hearts to one another, to those who suffer and need our strength, to those who seek and need our guidance, and to those who crave the [...]