This week's portion is one of the most extraordinary in the entire Bible. It tells the story of the flight of the Israelites from Egypt, and the crossing of the Red Sea, an event with profound implications, national and spiritual. The Song of the Sea, in Exodus 15, is one of the most beautiful lyrics in the Torah, and is laid out in a special poetic form on the parchment itself -- a real sight to see.
The additional reading, from Judges 4:4 - 5:31, tells the story of Deborah. The link between the two is the role of female leaders -- Moses's sister, Miriam, prophesied at the Red Sea, and Deborah prophesied at the time of the battle with Sisera. The Torah stresses the unique capabilities of women as leaders, both of whom not only achieve great things but leave a legacy of song to us today.
This week's show will be slightly different from the norm: we'll focus on clips and topics, rather than guests -- and that, hopefully, will mean more input from the callers (unless you are all watching football on opening weekend).
Topics:
- The state of the economy
- The fight against crime
- The midterm election fight
- The struggle for peace between Russia and Ukraine
- The airstrike on the Venezuelan drug cartel
- The attempt to sink Kennedy
- The war in Gaza
- The case against Harvard
- The Trump presidency
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This week's Torah portion includes several laws about conduct in civic and personal life, the common theme of which is boundaries -- setting bounds to what one may do at home, at work, and even in the battlefield.
One noteworthy passage concerns Amalek, the evil nation that attacked the Children of Israel as they made their Exodus from slavery to freedom. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands Jews to obliterate Amalek's memory.
The South African government accused Israel of genocide on the basis of a story about Amalek in the Book of Samuel, in which King Saul was commanded to wipe out the entire evil Amalekite nation.
Because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted this week's portion -- "Remember what Amalek did to you" (25:17), the South African government claimed he was commanding soldiers to commit genocide.
It was an absurd and malevolent misreading of the Bible and of Jewish tradition. The commandment, as observed by Jews today, is to remember the evil of Amalek and fight ...
