1. We have moved to "green" energy before it could make up for the loss in fossil fuel energy and nuclear energy (which is also "green" in emissions terms).
2. The lack of energy is imposing hardship on residents and businesses in the form of shortages, higher prices, and lack of reliability.
3. We are about to mandate electric vehicles at a time when we are also telling people not to charge their electric vehicles at certain times of day due to electricity shortages.
4. Ostensibly, we are going to find a way to expand the grid's capacity by 30% in the next 13 years without building new fossil fuel or nuclear plants, i.e. relying on solar and wind, and while accommodating for the loss of several of these.
5. 17 liberal states have pegged their energy/emissions policies to California.
6. Somehow electric vehicles are going to be made more affordable even though their batteries depend on rare minerals that China currently controls.
7. The movement to electric vehicles will have a negligible affect on global emissions and temperature unless China/India et al. follow suit (unlikely).
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
