I'm not saying Justice Stephen Breyer didn't want to retire, but he wanted to make an announcement first, at the very least. Announcing the retirement of a Supreme Court justice before he or she is ready is just poor form.
It's possible that the news simply leaked -- from clerks, from staff, from the White House, or from anyone who would have had an incentive to leak it, which is any liberal Democrat within shouting distance of Capitol Hill.
But it's also possible that someone close to the party leadership wanted to push Breyer out because Biden has little to show for a year in office, and is facing strong headwinds, and disastrous poll numbers. There was already a strong pressure campaign to force Breyer out, and someone in a position to pull the trigger may have done so. He's a good liberal soldier, so he's not complaining, but he knows that he had little choice.
We may learn more in the coming days, but for now it seems at least possible, perhaps likely, that Breyer was pushed.
This is the portion that all journalists should love: the Torah tells the story of the 12 spies, only two of whom tell the truth when the other ten shade it in a negative away (perhaps to suit a political agenda that is opposed to Moses).
It's not that the ten "lying" spies misconstrue the facts about the Land of Israel; rather, they interject their opinions that the land is impossible to conquer, which strikes unnecessary terror into the hearts of the people.
We have many examples of such fake news today -- from the Iranian propaganda outlets spreading false claims that they are winning the war, to California politicians spreading false horror stories about ICE raids in L.A.
The people realize, too late, that they have been fooled, and once they are condemned to die in the desert, they try to rush into Israel -- only to be defeated by the inhabitants, as the spies predicted that they would be.
But as consolation, God gives the people new commandments -- focused on things they must ...
This week's portion discusses the procedure for lighting the menorah, the holy seven-branched lamp, in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). It also describes an episode where the people crave meat, and God punishes them by giving it to them in excess. We also read the story of Miriam, Moses's sister, who is punished with the spiritual skin blemish of tzara'at for speaking about her brother, thus violating the prohibition against lashon hara (evil tongue).
I heard a fantastic sermon this week about the lighting of the menorah: that while only the priests were qualified to clean and purify the menorah, anyone could light it. A reminder that each of us can inspire others along the way.
This week we study the vow of the Nazirite; a reminder that sometimes trying to be too holy is excessive, and the best we can do is to be the best that we are.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495720/p/complete/jewish/Naso-Torah-Reading.htm
