I have been working especially hard this week -- not only on my usual job at Breitbart, but also on Rhoda Kadalie's biography. I discovered a new trove of her files when my wife and I pulled our remaining boxes out of storage on Friday -- remnants of our 2019 move that we could never unpack for lack of space. (We finally had the garage redone, and closets installed. It looks and feels amazing.)
In the interim between handing in what I thought was the final draft of the book, and finding the boxes, my publisher received criticisms from a reviewer of an early draft that were quite negative and strident. Rather than getting upset, I decided to focus on the constructive criticism and improve the draft. And in the interim, I found documents that addressed the criticisms, almost exactly.
So now I am working on what will be a much better final draft, aiming to finish by the end of October. Not only am I proud of the way I handled the situation, but I am actually glad for the negative comments, because they contained some good ideas and they delayed the completion of the project long enough for me to find ways to ensure that it is a truly extraordinary tribute to Rhoda.
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:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
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!
...
