Daily Kavanot
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
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Daily Kavanah – Thursday, April 25, 2024
In Praise of Curiosityחכם מה הוא אומר, מה העדות והחקים והמשפטים אשר צוה ה' אלהינו אותנוWhat 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 wise child from the midrash, beginning [...]
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 [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, April 19, 2024
Four Difficulties for This Year’s Seder I remember the first time our oldest daughter sang the four questions at a family seder. It was, of course, beyond adorable. It also filled Jacqueline and me with a deep sense of pride. Like generations of children before her, our daughter’s sweet voice joined the Jewish communal conversation. Our tradition interestingly calls this part of the seder the “Four Difficulties” (ארבע הקושיות - Arba HaKushiyot), not the “Four Questions.” It’s really just one question, “How is this night different from all others” with various challenges (difficulties) pointed out, i.e., “On other nights we eat both leavened and unleavened products. Tonight, only unleavened.” This year, the questions—and difficulties—seem even heavier. In this moment of collective pain and sorrow, I want to suggest four “difficulties” that are particularly resonant in 5784/2024. Today is 196 days since our captives were taken from us. Over six months into [...]