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.
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!
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