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 – Friday, October 27, 2023
It’s hard to keep them all straight in my head. I imagine every Jew holds this somewhere in their consciousness. Some of the dates and events happened long before we were born, but we still recall them each year on Tisha B’av or Yom HaShoah. Expulsion. Inquisition. Pogrom. Farhud. Shoah. And then there’s today, there’s now. It’s a gruesome list. Terrorist attacks. Suicide bombings. Military operations and wars. There’s also the personal list, the things we witnessed firsthand or read about as they unfolded over the course of our own lifetimes. Here’s mine (partial and, sadly, in formation): March, 2002 – I was sitting outside with friends in the courtyard of the Inbal hotel when we heard an explosion. We would later learn that the Cafe Moment, a place I had visited many times as a graduate student, had just been blown up by a suicide bomber. Little did [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, October 26, 2023
In the Jewish tradition there’s a beautiful and deeply meaningful custom of studying Torah in honor or memory of an individual. At our weekly Shabbat morning Torah study, and many of our adult learning classes we invite students to dedicate their learning reflecting that practice. As the war in Gaza enters its third week, I dedicate the Torah that I’ll be sharing to the victims of the terrorist, attack in memory of those who were killed, in solidarity with those who were taken hostage, and in honor of those who are risking their lives to protect the citizens of Israel. For the entire Torah portion click here. Wandering is at the core of our foundational narrative. At first, Abram’s father Terach, leads his whole clan from Ur-Kasdim towards Canaan for reasons unknown. Strangely, the family makes it to Haran (thought to be in southern Turkey and still carrying that [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, October 25, 2023
In the Jewish tradition, there’s a beautiful and deeply meaningful custom of studying Torah in honor or memory of an individual. At our weekly Shabbat morning Torah study, and many of our adult learning classes we invite students to dedicate their learning reflecting that practice. As the war in Gaza enters its third week, I dedicate the Torah that I’ll be sharing to the victims of the terrorist attack, in memory of those who were killed, in solidarity with those who were taken hostage, and in honor of those who are risking their lives to protect the citizens of Israel. For the entire Torah portion click here. No sooner do Abram and Sarai (in Gen 12, their names are not yet changed) enter the promised land then they depart for Egypt because of a famine in Canaan. Sound familiar? It should; that’s the very same reason that Jacob and his sons [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, October 24, 2023
In the Jewish tradition there’s a beautiful and deeply meaningful custom of studying Torah in honor or memory of an individual. At our weekly Shabbat morning Torah study, and many of our adult learning classes we invite students to dedicate their learning reflecting that practice. As the war in Gaza enters its third week, I dedicate the Torah that I’ll be sharing to the victims of the terrorist attack, in memory of those who were killed, in solidarity with those who were taken hostage, and in honor of those who are risking their lives to protect the citizens of Israel. For the entire Torah portion, click here. אֲנִ֕י הִנֵּ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וְהָיִ֕יתָ לְאַ֖ב הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִֽם׃ Gen 17:2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous.”… 17:4 “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, October 23, 2023
In the Jewish tradition, there’s a beautiful and deeply meaningful custom of studying Torah in honor or memory of an individual. At our weekly Shabbat morning Torah study and many of our adult learning classes, we invite students to dedicate their learning reflecting that practice. As the war in Gaza enters its third week, I dedicate the Torah that I’ll be sharing to the victims of the terrorist attack, in memory of those who were killed, in solidarity with those who were taken hostage, and in honor of those who are risking their lives to protect the citizens of Israel. For the entire Torah portion click here. וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃ “יהוה said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Gen 12:1) With this command, the thousands-year Jewish connection [...]