She'll pass, but narrowly. She's personable and brilliant. But she can't quite explain her ideas because she's never had to do so: like many Ivy Leaguers, she thinks saying the right words makes it so.
Let me be more specific: she is telling the Senate she's against judicial activism, even that she's an "originalist," and yet she can't bring herself to define the word "woman" or to tell us how many unenumerated rights might yet be found to exist that aren't in the text.
The child porn stuff is toxic to Republicans and will guarantee there isn't much of a crossover. The question isn't whether she's right about the need for more lenient or flexible sentences for sex offenders -- that's a policy debate (the kind of debate she says she doesn't want to have on other topics, as a judge). The problem is that the public was told that Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was lying. It turns out he was telling the truth about her record, and the only defense the Democrats have is to claim that she's right on the substance of the issue. Yes, Hawley is making them die, proverbially, on the hill of child pornography. (Normally Republicans aren't quite that clever or adept -- so, well played.)
She'll be a reliable liberal vote on the Court, and will not have much of an impact, except perhaps as a role model, for which purpose we are to be reminded that she is a certain kind of "woman," whatever that outdated term might mean.
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
