Last week was incredibly intense, news-wise, with the showdown over the House speakership just one of several stories. We'll be breaking down the meaning of the fight between Kevin McCarthy and the dissidents -- and asking what it means for the Congress ahead, as well as for the 2024 presidential race.
This is a crucial year in world affairs, as well, with the Russia-Ukraine war grinding to a stalemate of sorts, and the crisis at our southern border continuing. President Joe Biden is going to the border -- not just for the first time in his presidency, but also for the first time in his career. We'll discuss.
And finally: a miracle to start the year. Damar Hamlin basically died on the field on Monday night. By Sunday, he was sitting up in a hospital bed, watching his team on TV. In the interim, he had rallied a divided nation to join in prayer -- yes, prayer -- and the NFL players took a knee, for an entirely different reason.
All this and your calls -- this is a LIVE show!
Special guests:
Henry Olsen - Washington Post columnist and conservative thinker
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign policy editor
Dylan Gwinn - Breitbart News sports editor
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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
