This week's Torah reading is very dramatic. It covers Jacob's wrestling with an angel; the fateful reunion between Jacob and Esau, the story of the rape of Dinah by Caananites, and the death of Rachel with the birth of Benjamin.
My favorite of these is the wrestling match. Jacob wrestles with an angel, with God, and also with himself. He is wounded, but earns a new identity: "Israel." This means "strives with God." It defines the essence of faith as a struggle.
The story of the rape of Dinah is a difficult one. Simeon and Levi take revenge on the local townspeople, tricking them into mass circumcision and then killing them. Jacob worries that this act will turn the peoples of the land against him.
But the opposite happens, in fact: the staunch defense of their only sister makes the people of the land fear and respect Jacob, who becomes respected and remains unbothered by the local population after the violent episode.
Here we have two classic positions on dealing with antisemitism: one suggests accommodation and persuasion, while the other suggests fighting hard. It is not always clear which is the best option, but it's a reminder that this is an old issue.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...
