Jonathan Turley expressed my sentiments exactly: while radical pro-choice activists theoretically have the right, under the First Amendment, to protest where they want to, we have reached a new low when people are targeting individual Supreme Court justices at their private homes in an effort to influence their judgments. (I also think the pro-lifers who marked to Justice Samuel Alito's home this week to than him for his draft decision were wrong.)
There are laws against disruptive protests during judicial proceedings. I am not sure a protest on a public sidewalk would qualify as a violation; probably not.
However, as Rhoda Kadalie said, in another context: just because you have the right, in theory, to do something, that does not mean it is right for you to do it.
Meanwhile, the execrable Adam Schiff is complaining that the courts do not represent the majority will of the people. There is a legitimate criticism to make regarding what political theorists call the "countermajoritarian" problem with courts. However, that is a feature, not a bug, of an independent judiciary.
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
