The "red wave" did happen; it just didn't win many seats. Republicans won six million more votes nationwide than Democrats, roughly the same margin as in the Tea Party wave of 2010, when the GOP won 63 seats in a landslide.
However, in this election, the map was different. In 2010, Republicans were largely claiming back seats they had lost in 2006, under that old map. In 2022, Republicans were looking to flip what were rather Democratic districts.
The Senate is a disappointment: the Republicans held onto everything they had, but lost the open seat in Pennsylvania. Debate will rage for years as to why that happened, most of it about Donald Trump's role in endorsing Dr. Oz.
We don't know the final result yet: the fate of the Senate is yet to be decided, as is the fate of Los Angeles. Though it's just a local election, a win by Rick Caruso locally could indicate a nationwide sense of voters' dissatisfaction.
Overall, I share the Republicans' disappointment, but I am hopeful. Voters seem to have culled the most extreme candidates on both sides, and the 2024 race for the White House is wide open. Trump is not a lock, and that's a good thing.
If Trump wants to be the GOP nominee, he has to earn it by showing he can unite the party, and by making the case that he can win again despite his polarizing persona. There will be a contest. That's good for everyone involved.
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
