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, January 20, 2025
Yesterday, 3 young women were returned home from an unfathomable 470+ days in Hamas captivity. In an emotional moment, the Israeli reporter’s voice caught as she announced: Doron, Emily, and Romi have arrived home. They are home. It seems fitting, somehow, that while the traditional prayer for hostages is long—expressing our collective hopes for safety and freedom, the prayer we say when a captive is freed is simple and short: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם. מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohainu melech haolam, matir asurim. The prayer reads in English: Blessed are You Adonai, Lord our God, King of the universe, who frees the captive. There is no flowery language, no extraneous words—it is gratitude, pure and simple. And it was the expression of the entire nation of Israel, wherever we are. Hallelujah—they are home. And now, we return to our fervent prayer—and our activism—to bring them ALL [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, January 17, 2025
You inspire me. You have texted, emailed and called to check in on me and my family. You have asked how you can help others who have been evacuated or lost their homes. You have reached out to find out how we can support the firefighters and first responders. You have done all of this while dealing with your own concerns, anxieties, and difficulties. This is what it means to be a part of a sacred community. This is how we support and show up for one another. This is what it means to be a member of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. It is in this week’s Torah portion that we first encounter that word, “people”, in relation to our community. It is, someone paradoxically, Pharaoh who says: וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, January 16, 2025
As the impact of our region’s most recent fire disaster continues to be assessed, so many are reeling from the devastating loss of property and cherished possessions, remember that your Wise community stands together to offer you sustained spiritual and emotional support. In the months ahead, we will turn our eyes to the brilliant blue skies of the Southland and rebuild our community together, however, in times of loss and acute danger we can allow ourselves to experience the raw emotions that may surface. Sometimes, it’s when we are feeling most vulnerable that we can grow the most. It is in that spirit that we share this week’s deeply personal Kavanot by Rabbi Stern. Introduction As you may know, I lost my dad on December 31st. He suffered a long illness and a very difficult decline, so his end, though filled with sadness, came as a blessing. We can [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, January 15, 2025
As the impact of our region’s most recent fire disaster continues to be assessed, so many are reeling from the devastating loss of property and cherished possessions, remember that your Wise community stands together to offer you sustained spiritual and emotional support. In the months ahead, we will turn our eyes to the brilliant blue skies of the Southland and rebuild our community together, however, in times of loss and acute danger we can allow ourselves to experience the raw emotions that may surface. Sometimes, it’s when we are feeling most vulnerable that we can grow the most. It is in that spirit that we share this week’s deeply personal Kavanot by Rabbi Stern.IntroductionAs you may know, I lost my dad on December 31st. He suffered a long illness and a very difficult decline, so his end, though filled with sadness, came as a blessing. We can now turn from [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, January 14, 2025
As the impact of our region’s most recent fire disaster continues to be assessed, so many are reeling from the devastating loss of property and cherished possessions, remember that your Wise community stands together to offer you sustained spiritual and emotional support. In the months ahead, we will turn our eyes to the brilliant blue skies of the Southland and rebuild our community together, however, in times of loss and acute danger we can allow ourselves to experience the raw emotions that may surface. Sometimes, it’s when we are feeling most vulnerable that we can grow the most. It is in that spirit that we share this week’s deeply personal Kavanot by Rabbi Stern. Introduction As you may know, I lost my dad on December 31st. He suffered a long illness and a very difficult decline, so his end, though filled with sadness, came as a blessing. We can now [...]