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 1, 2024
When teaching the Jewish calendar, I always note that it is a bit of a mindbender to understand. From the time of the Tanakh, Nisan — the month of Passover — is counted as the first month. And yet, we celebrate Rosh HaShanah, the New Year, in Tishrei — the 7th month on the calendar. Nisan makes a lot of sense; it is spring, flowers are blooming, rebirth is in the air. As Cantor Emma taught last week, the Mishnah teaches of the four New Years of the Jewish calendar, and explains that while Nisan is the first month for the order of the festivals, Tishrei is the first month for counting years.Given all of this, perhaps it is not surprising that — for centuries — the non-Jewish world celebrated New Years Day on March 15. It was the Roman King Numa Pompilius (715-673 BCE) who first introduced a 12-month [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, December 29, 2023
This is the last Shabbat of 2023. Most would agree that this has been the worst year for the Jewish People and for Israel since the Shoah. What an awful sentence to read (and to write). What a profoundly disturbing truth to acknowledge. Just weeks before October 7, I spoke on Kol Nidrei about the threats to Israel’s democracy, the deep divisions in Israeli society, and the effect all this was having on Israel’s security. I thought, we thought, that this was the greatest threat. As I prepared that message, I discussed the situation with numerous teachers and friends. Together we imagined a variety of possible outcomes related to the planned judicial overhaul. We considered the very real possibility of internal violence, bloodshed, and even civil war. We also discussed what Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran might do in such a moment. But even in our worst nightmares, we did not imagine the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, December 28, 2023
ogether we celebrated Rosh Hashana and the start of a new year three months ago, but the Mishnah actually specifies four different Jewish new year celebrations: the first of Tishrei, Rosh Hashana – literally the head of the year, a time for tithing and acknowledging the creation of the world; the 15th of Shvat, or the new year for trees, after most of the winter rains are done; the first of Nisan, corresponding with Passover, which celebrates the beginning of the Israelite nation; and the first of Elul, a time traditionally set aside for tithing cattle, which we now use as a time to begin to reflect on the highs and lows of the previous year. And of course, as Americans, we also mark the beginning of a new calendar year on January first, which can be a welcome opportunity for us to check in on the personal and [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wedensday, December 27, 2023
“And all who work with the community should labor with them for the sake of Heaven, for the merits of our ancestors sustain us” (Pirkei Avot 2:2). It has been a challenging two-and-a-half months of war, not just on the battlefield but on social media, during dinner conversations, in painful disagreements with strangers and friends. I saw lifelong friends post words so deeply antisemitic that it cut me to the core. I witnessed family and friends clashing, holding onto such strong claims of being on the right side, the only side of justice. We continue to experience such a wide range of emotions from grief to rage to disbelief. And yet, as if it were a miracle amidst so much turmoil, we find strength in our faith and in our community. Our sanctuary and study sessions are filled with people who want to connect with each other, with our tradition. [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, December 26, 2023
For several years now, I have been involved with an organization called Women Wage Peace, a group of Israeli/Jewish and Muslim/Palestinian mothers promoting political understanding and including women in the conflict conversation. Many of these mothers on both sides of the conflict have lost children to fighting, and, even after the horrors of October 7, when many have lost hope for peace, Women Wage Peace continues to hold onto what now feel like tiny slivers of hope for safety and harmony in our beloved homeland. Through my work with this organization, I was lucky enough to know Vivian Silver, a founding member. Vivian was committed to a two-state solution, to future generations of peaceful relations. And still, Vivian was murdered in her home at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. A friend to her Palestinian neighbors across the border with Gaza, Hamas terrorists still killed her indiscriminately. I have read [...]