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, April 26, 2024
Ba'avur Zeh: On Sacred Purpose וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is ba’avor zeh that God brought me out of Egypt.’ (Exodus 13:8) This source text of our Haggadah points to the purpose not just of this holiday, but arguably of Jewish life more broadly. Much could be said about the act of imagination required to fulfill this commandment. We are to tell our children in our day that God parted the sea and liberated us from Egyptian bondage, even though it was, of course, actually our ancestors from 100 generations ago who experienced the miracle firsthand. I want to focus this year on two words that I chose intentionally not to translate in the verse above. In the context of the sentence, those words (ba’avur zeh) probably mean, “for this reason.” It seems to refer back to [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, April 25, 2024
In Praise of Curiosity חכם מה הוא אומר, מה העדות והחקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה' אלהינו אותנו What does the Wise [child say]? What are the testimonies and the laws and the statutes that Adonai, our God, has commanded us? (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Ismael, Pischa 18) The retelling of the Passover story at our seders begins with someone, typically the youngest child, asking the four questions. Often, we ascribe this tradition to the simple act of keeping children active and engaged with the seder, but there may be more than meets the eye to this custom. The Passover seder includes the midrashic tale of four children, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who cannot ask, each with their own inquiry at the seder. The wise child begins by asking about all the exposition, rituals, and rules of the seder. When children ask the four questions, they imitate the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Passover Seder: Three Messages for Us and our Children While there is much to convey at our Passover Seder, I believe the following three messages are especially important. I. The History of our Exodus from Egypt The Torah records that the Israelites left Canaan to go to Egypt to avoid a famine. The Israelites were initially well-received. However, “A new King arose over Egypt, one who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8) and this King (Pharoah), fearful of the Israelites, enslaved us. Ultimately, slavery would not suffice as the Egyptians wanted to eradicate our people by killing all male infants. Moses, directed by God, calls upon the Hebrews to worship God and, to freedom. In the events described in the Haggadah, the Israelites are freed from slavery. The Egyptians, however, ultimately find this unacceptable and chase after the Israelites. The Israelites are saved, and the Egyptians destroyed. II. God's Role [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Silver Dollars: Connecting Across the Generations The Passover seder is a singular learning experience because the entire family is invited to share in the course. We are not divided by our age, learning level, abilities or experience—we explore the Haggadah and retell the story of freedom together so that each of us might embrace the holiday’s significance in our own way. Whether wise, rebellious, simple, or quiet, we are all instructed to imagine the Passover story as our own, and within the framework of the seder, we are encouraged to customize the experience so that we might bring our own creativity and knowledge to this Jewish group project. Like so many, I have wonderful childhood memories of seder with family and best friends. An old aunt squeezed and grabbed our cheeks and remarked on how much we had grown. Our parents asked us meaningful questions, engaging our minds in deep [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, April 22, 2024
"And you shall teach your child on that day...." Israeli educator Rabbi Mishael Zion writes of the first seder he conducted in 2002. He was a 21-year old IDF soldier, serving in Rafah-the border between Egypt and Gaza. Home on leave for the holiday, he spent hours and hours with his father, Rabbi Noam Zion, preparing to lead. And then, he writes: “When we finally sat down to the meal, my uncle pulled me aside and said: “There has been a Hamas suicide bombing at the Park Hotel seder in Netanya. Should we tell everyone?” At that moment the joy of the holiday was turned to mourning.” It was also the first year that I celebrated seder in Jerusalem. Two years later, in 2004, the first version of their remarkable haggadah, A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices (The Israeli Haggadah) was published. And almost 20 years later, they had [...]