We're just about a month away from the 2022 midterm elections, and the race is nearing its final stages. We'll talk about that with two candidates -- as well as the issues of energy and "wokeness" that are motivating voters in this election.
We'll also talk about foreign policy -- specifically the crisis in Russia and Ukraine. And we'll discuss the border crisis, including the Fifth Circuit's decision to strike down DACA -- ten years after the unconstitutional policy was made.
Finally, we'll have a special guest: Patrick Courrielche, of the Red Pilled America podcast, which has done an incredible job with its ten-part series about Richard Nixon. It opened my eyes to the deeper story behind Watergate.
Special guests:
Alexis Martinez Johnson - Republican nominee for Congress, NM-03
Steve Myers - entrepreneur and policy expert on Russia, on the Ukraine War
Mike Lawler - Republican nominee for Congress, NY-17, on Columbus Day John Binder - Breitbart News immigration reporter, on DACA strike down
Patrick Courrielche - of redpilledamerica.com, on his ten-part Nixon series
Jerome Hudson - Breitbart News entertainment editor, on Kanye West
Tune in: SiriusXM Patrio 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
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
