Harvard University has produced a report claiming that the nation's oldest institution of higher education was shaped by slavery, and pledging to spend $100 million to redress its historical guilt (and impose it on future generations).
This is worse than nonsense; it's propaganda, and designed to prevent debate. My problem with Harvard's approach to this issue since 2016 has been that it ignores or downplays the fact that the institution was a mainstay of the abolitionist movement in the 19th century, and that hundreds of Harvard men volunteered to fight for the Union. Many died in that cause, and the most prominent building on campus is devoted to honoring their sacrifice.
One would think the sacrifice of hundreds of men would atone for whatever culpability the institution has in slavery. There are more Harvard dead (117) than slaves (70) -- and those slaves were owned over nearly 150 years. None were owned directly by the university. And whatever money was donated by slave owners was donated under the laws of the time. To say Harvard was shaped by slavery is merely to say that it was founded in 17th century America.
This is what happens when an institution goes "woke": it denies the morality of its own existence, the better to serve contemporary political imperatives. But let's take Harvard at its word, just as the Trump administration took Princeton at its word when it declared itself guilty of racism: cut off the funding. Why give to an institution that is a legacy of slavery? Better to support a place like Hillsdale College, which opposed slavery from its founding in 1844.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/18/hillsdale-college-refuses-to-bow-to-the-totalitarian-mob/
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
