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 – Wednesday, August 23, 2023
The Hebrew month of Elul has just begun, traditionally devoted to preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days. With that in mind, this week, Rabbi Woznica offers suggestions about forgiveness. Granting Forgiveness When Hurt is Great and Trust is Shattered The Lubavitcher Rebbe wrote a piece on this topic, explaining there are three levels of forgiveness. The first is not wishing the person any harm; we even pray for their wellbeing. At this basic level of forgiveness, we might still be upset and feel hurt or even angry. Yet, we resist the temptation to hope for the person's downfall, and eschew the urge for revenge or retribution. The second level is to no longer harbor resentment or ill will, and to let go of our anger. We accept we may not have the same relationship with the person who has wronged us as we had in the past, but [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, August 22, 2023
The Hebrew month of Elul has just begun, traditionally devoted to preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days. With that in mind, this week, Rabbi Woznica offers suggestions about forgiveness. Asking Forgiveness From The People Closest To You It takes courage to ask others to forgive us—especially when that person lives in our home, is a family member, or is someone we see regularly. To ask our spouse, children, parents, or close friends to forgive us is humbling and tough. It is also vitally important and can be deeply meaningful. I suggest you look at those on your list (see yesterday's piece), set a time to approach them in a private setting, and ask their forgiveness. Rather than a generic apology such as, "I am sorry if I hurt you in any way this year," it is traditional to articulate the specific hurtful act or acts. For example: "I [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, August 21, 2023
The Hebrew month of Elul has just begun, traditionally devoted to preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days. With that in mind, this week, Rabbi Woznica offers suggestions about forgiveness. To Whom Do I Owe Forgiveness? Make A List The first step toward forgiveness is identifying those whom we have sinned against. Devote time this month to reflecting on this year and your interactions. Pinpoint the times you have acted wrongly. Make a list of the people you have sinned against and the specific transgression(s). Remember, just because someone felt hurt does not necessarily mean you sinned against them. There are times when their feelings are justified, but not always. For example, suppose you reprimanded your child or were very honest in assessing the action of a friend. In those cases, they may feel hurt, but it does not mean you did anything wrong. There are times when the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Shabbat Message From Rabbi Yoshi – Friday, August 18, 2023
Today is the first day of the month of Elul, which means that Rosh Hashanah is exactly one month away. During this time, we traditionally sound the shofar each morning as a type of spiritual alarm clock designed to wake us up to teshuvah. Yom Kippur falls 10 days after the New Year, so the Day of Judgment is exactly 40 days from today. On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the words of the reluctant prophet—Jonah. He doesn’t want to accept his mission to warn the Ninevites to change their ways. He actually tries to run away from God and is then famously swallowed by a giant fish and spit out on dry land. He understands this as a sign that he has no choice but to fulfill the task. When he arrives in Nineveh, he delivers his simple five-word message: עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת Od arbaim yom v’Nineveh [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, August 17, 2023
צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ "Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יהוה is giving you." —Deuteronomy 16:20 Racial Justice Our Wise Guys book group recently read the book When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America by Theordore Roosevelt Johnson. In addition to serving in the U.S. Navy as a ship commander and a professor at the U.S Naval War College, Johnson is a scholar who explores the role that race plays in our society. In a few months, Johnson will be visiting us to speak about his work and the book. Among the most compelling points that Johnson makes is that racism is an existential threat to America. He points to the patriotism of Black Americans who fought in our world wars, serve in our police [...]