I will give Joe Biden the credit that he refused to give Donald Trump: I congratulate him on killing Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
It's sort of incredible, looking back, that Biden dared to claim that the U.S. got ISSI leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in spite of Trump, or that Trump's decision to nail Iranian terror general Qasem Soleimani was a bad idea. Biden even turned the latter into some kind of campaign talking point. What a disgrace.
The media largely agreed with Biden, but is now celebrating his achievement. That proves both media bias, and the fact that Biden is a real jerk.
I could gripe about the unfairness of it all, and return the ill treatment, or I could just refuse to stoop to that level, and not let politics control patriotism.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
And more!
Special guests:
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
...