Listening to NPR on my drive through rural Iowa yesterday, I was struck by a discussion about the supposed threat to fertility treatments because of the Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade. Theoretically, the program suggested, in vitro fertilization could become illegal because it involves destroying embryos, and some states have stated that life begins at conception.
The whole discussion struck me as paranoid. And, indeed, both the Biden administration and the left-wing media are fueling this paranoia. They can't deal with the essence of the Dobbs decision -- that abortion is problematic because it involves a potential human life -- so they are running around trying to scare everyone. We're going to lose contraception; women won't be able to travel across state lines; red states are going to spy on personal health data.
On the latter point, the White House is even advising women to delete certain apps from their phones. Pure hysteria.
None of this is going to happen. Republicans are talking about a nationwide ban on abortion -- after 15 weeks, which is more or less the international standard.
The parade of horribles is simply designed to scare people into voting Democrat. Shameful, really.
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
