This week's portion is the opening of the book of Numbers. It describes the precise arrangement of the various tribes of Israel as they encamped, and the way in which they used to travel. It is about establishing order in a void.
Many military leaders have observed that the tiny rituals of a soldier or sailor's life -- folding clothes properly, making a bed, polishing boots, etc. -- may seem useless, but they instill a sense of discipline and coherence that later saves lives.
I am particularly fond of this portion because I read it on my bar mitzvah. The additional reading, from Hosea 2, includes two passages (21-22) that are recited every morning upon winding the tefillin straps around one's finger.
The verses talk about betrothal, and though they mean a betrothal of the Jewish people to God, I always think about my own connection to my wife, who enriched and renewed my faith, and bound me closer to it, through her.
This weekend (Saturday night through Monday at nightfall) also marks the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, or Pentecost, celebrating the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. We celebrate in many ways -- studying all night and reading the book of Ruth, which celebrates both faith and romance. And we also eat a lot of ice cream and other dairy products, remembering that the Israelites refrained from eating meat before Mount Sinai. A delightful treat!
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
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
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 ...
