Disgraced former FBI agent Peter Strzok has resurfaced in the media as some kind of authority, thanks to the raid on Trump's home. The only thing this guy is an authority about is how to corrupt law enforcement for political purposes.
Still, his deranged tweets and threats -- he shares the Democrats' hatred of Kash Patel, a minority who refused to conform -- reveal something really important: though they often have access to more and better information than we do, FBI agents are just as susceptible to media bias and fake news as the rest of us. Their opinions, and the filters through which they interpret the data they see, are affected by their news sources, whether CNN or the Washington Post.
So the irony is that some complete yahoo in the middle of the country with no special access but an ounce of common sense may know more about what is actually happening than an expert deep inside the bowels of the Beltway.
They will be mocked by an establishment that hates them and fervently believes in speeding along their inevitable disappearance. But the ordinary people of America, who mistrust the media, have a wisdom Washington can't touch.
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
