Wise Words
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
Each Monday morning, members of our mailing list receive the weekly email “This Week at Wise,” and on Fridays, a “Shabbat Shalom” email from Rabbi Yoshi which include messages of thought, inspiration, and contemplation from our clergy, along with a schedule of events. Sign up and don’t miss out!
Wise Words – Monday, December 8, 2025
When I was a little girl, Friday night services were the heartbeat of my family’s week—rain or shine. We began with Shabbat dinner at home, dressed in our best, and made our way to the synagogue where the familiar warmth of community awaited us. We greeted beloved faces, wandered through the gift shop with curiosity, thumbed through the prayer book, and sang with full and joyful voices. After services, we never hurried home; there was always time for the oneg, a late-night ice cream stop, or a cozy family talent show or movie night. Being at our temple at least once a week was not simply a routine—it was the sacred center of our lives, shaping our family identity and deepening our sense of belonging. Today, we live in a city that is not easily navigated and in a world that can feel fractured and uncertain. There are countless [...]
Shabbat Shalom – Friday, December 5, 2025
This week in Parashat Vayishlach, we encounter Jacob at a moment of profound liminality. He stands on the threshold between what has been and what might yet be—between a past marked by conflict with his brother Esau and a future still unknown. The last time they were together, Esau threatened to kill him. Now, after years apart, Jacob prepares to face him once more, full of uncertainty and fear.It is in this in-between space that Jacob wrestles. The Torah notes that Jacob was alone and then immediately tells us he wrestled with a man:וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (Genesis 32:25)It’s a striking and apparently contradictory juxtaposition—he is alone, and then he is wrestling with a man. Many commentators suggest that this points to Jacob’s own inner turmoil: his fears, regrets, and hopes for a [...]
Wise Words – Monday, December 1, 2025
You’ll read these words just before Giving Tuesday, the bottom side of that sandwich topped by Thanksgiving and filled with the days of indulgent consumerism termed Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday is the slice of bread that balances the richness, redirecting our attention from material acquisition toward generosity and community responsibility. You might not be aware that Giving Tuesday originated in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan before becoming a global phenomenon. That should come as no surprise, because at its core, Judaism calls its adherents to action. Our tradition teaches that deeds (Mitzvot) are placed on a higher level than beliefs — acts over faith, rather than faith over acts. I’m struck by the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel who said: "Gratefulness is not a passive state. It is an active response…gratitude is a form of living, an energy to live in such a way that our life becomes a gift to God [...]
Shabbat Shalom – Friday, November 28, 2025
As we enter this Thanksgiving weekend, I’ve been reflecting on the place of gratitude in Jewish life. Long before contemporary psychology demonstrated what many now recognize—that gratitude measurably improves health, deepens relationships, and even helps us live longer—Judaism understood this truth. There are now many studies showing that people who regularly practice gratitude experience better physical and emotional well-being, and may even enjoy longer lives. Science is affirming something our ancestors intuited long ago. Our tradition is filled with invitations to give thanks. One of my favorites appears right at the opening of Psalm 92: “It is good to give thanks to God–Tov l’hodot L'Adonai!” Good for the spirit, good for the self, good for others—and, as we now know, good for the body and mind. We express gratitude constantly in Jewish life. Before eating, we pause to acknowledge the Source of the food before us. We offer blessings for fragrant spices, [...]
Wise Words – Monday, November 24, 2025
What is the very first thing you do when you wake up? For many of us, it might be hitting the snooze button… or turning off the alarm only to immediately pick up the phone and start scrolling. Others might leap straight into action because a child, pet, or other responsibility is calling for attention before our feet even touch the floor. But before doing any of the things that immediately pull us outward, our tradition asks us to begin each day with just a moment turned inward, with the simple words of Modeh Ani: מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם, שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה. רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ Modeh/Modah ani l’fanecha, Melech chai v’kayam, she-hechezarta bi nishmati b’chemlah, rabah emunatecha. I offer thanks to You, ever-living Sovereign, that You have restored my soul to me in mercy: How great is Your trust. Before our eyes fully open, before emails, news [...]