This week is the Sabbath known as "Shabbat Shuva," the Sabbath of Return (NOT "shiva," which means "mourning" ). It is a special day between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
The portion, one of the last of the Torah, deals with Moses's final valediction to the Children of Israel. He lays out the moral choice between good and evil, and -- this is crucial -- he tells them that they will fail, and they will be punished.
This is, at first, confusing: why set people up to fail? But Moses is doing the opposite: he is setting them up to succeed by telling them that even though they will stumble, they should not give up, because they will win eventually.
When you listen to recovering addicts describe their story, most of them admit that they have failed -- "fallen off the wagon" -- at least once or twice. It is important to see that as part of the recovery, rather than the end of recovery.
The point is not to excuse lapses, but to place them in an appropriate context -- one in which the overall trajectory is positive, and in which mistakes become less frequent and less damaging. The key is commitment over the long term.
Success requires courage, above all. As Moses says, repeating an earlier blessing he gave to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous!" (Deut. 31:6). And sometimes emotional courage is just as tough as any physical courage you can muster.
This is the final edition of THE AGENDA -- finished a few days early!
This week's portion elucidates some of the first laws and principles of the Torah that follow the Ten Commandments, including -- a message particularly relevant to freed slaves -- the Jewish restrictions on indentured servitude.
God also provides the basic civil laws of Jewish society, governing almost every area of life -- in this one portion! -- as well as several basic principles of faith and religious observance. Moses then ascends Sinai for 40 days.
One of the laws God gives is the law against taunting a foreigner. This is different from allowing people to enter your land illegally; it is about showing respect, however, for people from other lands and other groups.
I am reminded of the importance of this principle because of the rhetoric lately attacking Elon Musk, a fellow South African-turned-American, for his foreign roots -- often by people who favor illegal immigration, ironically.
...
Since the Palisades Fire on January 7, my posts have been fairly sparse. I have just been so busy -- fighting the fire, covering the fire, helping neighbors, and launching a new podcast, "Three Homeless Guys," with two local friends.
Things are up and down. My family is still displaced, and we haven't resolved our living situation. We are awaiting answers from the insurance company (State Farm) on what they will cover, including alternative living expenses.
There are some incredible opportunities opening up -- more on that later -- and our kids are generally doing well, though this has been hard for them as well (especially the two middle kids, who miss their friends and their house).
The emotion of it all hit me yesterday. Today I feel wrung out. But I also feel that, in a way, going through the fire has been a process of refinement, of re-casting in a new mould, to face new challenges. And to win each new day.
So much to talk about, once again, as the Trump administration continues at breakneck pace. From DOGE chewing through the federal bureaucracy, to Marco Rubio heading out on his first missions for Trump, there's so much...
Special guests:
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on the L.A. fires and reforming CA insurance
Matt Boyle -- Breitbart News political editor, on DOGE and confirmations
Jamie Paige -- founder of the Westside Current, on L.A. politics and the fires
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Rubio and Russia/Ukraine
Rob Hersov -- South African commentator, on SA's fight with the White House
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