The Hebrew title for this portion means "The Life of Sarah," and yet the narrative commences at her death. True, we can only measure a person's life fully once he or she has died; yet it still seems odd.
We find some clues to the title in the story that follows. Abraham secures Sarah's burial ground, purchasing the Cave of Machpelah (making the Torah a title deed for the Jewish people to the holy city of Hebron). He also secures a wife for his son, sending his servant to find Rebecca. In a scene that will be repeated in several subsequent courtships (Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Zipporah), the maiden appears at a well and demonstrates her generosity by offering water to Eliezer -- and to his animals as well.
In that sense, the narrative is about the "life" of Sarah because it demonstrates that her legacy, both physical and moral, continued long after her death. That, in a sense, is the true measure of a life: what it creates, the legacy a human being leaves behind.
The accompanying additional reading, or Haftarah, is from Kings I 1:1-31, and tells the story of David's passing, as he confirms his promise to give the kingdom to Solomon, the son of Bathsheba. Though David's love with Bathsheba was conceived in lust, and in sin, it had a Divine purpose -- one of several such examples in the Old Testament.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
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This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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