This week's reading covers the various implements and practices of the priesthood, which is handed down from Aaron to his sons and their descendants (the Cohanim), who still bless Jews today.
There is an extra reading that is linked to the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim -- a selection from Deuteronomy that exhorts the people to remember the evil done by the nation of Amalek.
The connection to Purim is that Haman, the villain of the Book of Esther who tried to destroy the Jewish people, is thought to be a descendant of Amalek -- whom King Saul declined to eliminate.
The additional reading from the Prophets comes from I Samuel 15:1-34, and recalls the sin committed by Saul when he declined to execute the king of Amalek, perhaps showing mercy as a fellow royal.
On this Sabbath -- the Sabbath preceding Purim -- we are always commanded both to remember Amalek and to remove Amalek from memory. This seemingly contradictory command is hard to reconcile.
As with the Nazis -- who had to be destroyed, even as we remember them in Holocaust museums -- the story of Amalek is a story about the persistence of evil even in a word created by a God who is Good.
This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?
Special guests:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.
In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.
The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.
Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.
We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...
We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.
Special guests:
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874
