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, February 14, 2024
As we enter the first week of the Hebrew month of Adar I, Rabbi Josh examines what our tradition has to teach us about joy, stemming from the Talmud’s suggestion that, “During the month of Adar, joy increases (BT Ta’anit 29A).” This past year, Surgeon General Doctor Vivek Murthy released an advisory report entitled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” cataloging increasing rates of loneliness among Americans, as well as the myriad health risks posed by isolation to Americans’ health and well-being, including higher risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and suicide. Healthy relationships and a sense of belonging, according to the report, reinforce our sense of joy and fulfillment, providing innumerable benefits to our health and wellness. Jewish tradition has always been aware of the dangers of isolation and discourages detachment of the individual from the community. The great first Century sage, Hillel, warns his fellow Jews, “Never separate [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline are leading a Stephen Wise Temple solidarity mission this week in Israel. Each day Rabbi Yoshi will share reflections on the visit. Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024 - 4 Adar I, 5784 Resilience is, according to the American Psychological Association, “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.” At the end of our week here, at the conclusion of my third trip to Israel since October 7, I feel like another way to define the word would be to simply tell the stories of almost any of the people we've met during our visit: Barak Benjamin, a survivor of Netiv HaAsara whom I’ve written about a few times; Chen Kotler, a member of kibbutz Kfar Aza who helped coordinate communications between her family and friends on October [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, February 12, 2024
Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline are leading a Stephen Wise Temple solidarity mission this week in Israel. Each day Rabbi Yoshi will share reflections on the visit. Monday, Feb 12, 2024 - 3 Adar I, 5784 אין כמו שבת בירושלים. “There is nothing like Shabbat in Jerusalem.” You hear people say this all the time. It's certainly true and after the emotionality of the week that passed, we needed this Shabbat more than ever. As we prepared to welcome the day of rest, my friend Rabbi Dr. Leon Wiener Dow began our day with text study. He reminded us of the humility we need to cultivate in moments like this especially. We don't know how this all will unfold. We don't know what will be written about this time five years or ten years from now. We still have to do our best to navigate it with wisdom, resolve, empathy, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, February 9, 2024
Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline are leading a Stephen Wise Temple solidarity mission this week in Israel. Each day Rabbi Yoshi will share reflections on the visit. February 9, 2024 - 30 Shevat 5784 Today was about home. We started with a painful, heart wrenching visit to the site of the music festival where 364 Israelis were brutally murdered. There were many sexual atrocities committed there as well, largely ignored by the UN and rest of the world. This visit reminded me of the communities and homes we build through our passions and hobbies. The 3,000 plus people who came to the festival created this through their shared love of music, dance, and being together. As I walked through the memorial that has been built by their friends and loved ones, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of home in this place with no physical structures, a place [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, February 8, 2024
Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline are leading a Stephen Wise Temple solidarity mission this week in Israel. Each day Rabbi Yoshi will share reflections on the visit. February 8, 2024 - 29 Shevat 5784 Today we learned about resilience. We left our hotel early in the morning for our two-hour drive along the Gaza Strip to Talmei Yosef, a small agricultural community five miles from the border with Egypt, just opposite Khan Yunis. The first lesson was taught by Uri Alon who runs “The Salad Trail,” an educational experience about high-tech agriculture accompanied by opportunities to taste varieties of strawberries and tomatoes right off the vine. But in addition to these lessons, Uri taught us a lot about how one can face difficult situations with grace, determination, and courage. He told us his own October 7 story. He and his wife and grandchild were at their small farm alone when [...]