Riots are wrong. I opposed the hundreds of "Black Lives Matter" riots across the country in 2020, including at the White House, which were an effort to force political change. And I opposed the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot (and rally).
Democrats only opposed the latter; they encouraged the former, despite a few perfunctory statements against violence. Then they impeached Trump for the Capitol riot. When that failed, they launched the January 6 Committee.
The committee has arguably done more damage to democracy, and to our constitutional system, than the riot. The riot could never have reasonably hoped to seize or hold power. But the committee's effects could be long-lasting.
The committee was one-sided, composed only of Trump opponents. It abused the civil rights of its witnesses and targets. And several members of the committee were themselves guilty of denying previous election results.
The public didn't need to be told that January 6 was bad. People knew. But the media played along with the committee, allowing it to violate due process and the separation of powers. It is a Star Chamber, a constitutional abomination.
I have argued that the Republicans should keep the committee and call Nancy Pelosi as a witness to find out why the Capitol was undefended. But the GOP is more inclined to dump the whole thing. Good riddance to a terrible scourge.
This week'd portion begins the book of Numbers. Interestingly, the Hebrew name for the book is "In the Desert," not "Numbers." The portion, which happens to be my bar mitzvah portion, focuses almost as much on the names of the princes of each tribe as the number of soldiers it fielded. It also focuses on the configuration of the tribal camps around the central Tabernacle and the Levites.
So why "Numbers" instead of "Names" or "Places"? The numbers are, to be sure, a unique feature of the opening of this Biblical book -- but they are not the focus of the rest of the narrative. The Hebrew focuses on the place where the events in the book take place, because essentially this is the narrative of the Israelites' wanderings from Egypt to Israel, across 40 years. We move from the giving of the Torah and the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus and Leviticus, to the final valediction of Moses in Deuteronomy -- Bamidbar is the story of wandering that happened in between.
The question of ...
This week's portion begins with the laws of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical year, and the Jubilee year that restores all land to its original (tribal) owners. It also explores laws of property and labor that will apply in the Land of Israel, and the laws of vows and inheritance.
The Israelites are presented -- not for the last time -- with the essential moral choice that they must face, and the rewards for choosing well, along with the consequences for choosing poorly.
We learn that doing good things will earn God's protection from enemies. That does not mean that victims of terror, God forbid, were sinful. But it does mean that we can respond to evil by committing ourselves to a higher path.
This week's portion describes the major sacrifices that are to be offered by the Jewish people, including those that are offered only by the priestly Kohen class, and physical requirements of the people (men) who serve in that role.
Inter alia, there are interesting commandments -- such as an injection to treat animals with respect and care, first, by letting a mother animal nurse her offspring for a week before being offered in any sacrifice; and second, by refraining from slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day.
The commandments regarding animals remind us of the purpose of those regarding human beings: to uphold a divine connection, through ritual.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111878/jewish/Rabbi-Isaac-Luria-The-Ari-Hakodosh.htm
