Donald Trump seems unstoppable as the Republican nominee for 2024, but Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis is plunging into the race anyway. Is that good?
The theory behind a potential DeSantis run was that the GOP needed to put up a candidate who offered Trump's policies without Trump's personality. That theory gained traction as DeSantis turned Florida into a shining success, and provided victory after victory -- even in Miami -- in the 2022 midterm races.
But that theory eroded for two reasons. First: Democrats succeeded in making Republicans rally around Trump by pursuing frivolous prosecutions against him, making it clear that there was far more at stake in 2024 than the presidency.
Second: DeSantis became too Trumpy, personality-wise, by chasing a conflict with Disney too far, and by signing more aggressive pro-life legislation than he had before. Suddenly he did not seem like a steadier pair of hands than Trump.
DeSantis hurt himself with his botched campaign launch. It was never a good idea to start by talking to two billionaires on a tech platform. Then the tech crashed, undermining DeSantis's image as the guy who makes things work.
Once the conversation was up and running, it was deeply unimpressive. Sure, there was wonkish detail on policy, but that is not what people want -- either from DeSantis, or in general. It felt like the Ted Cruz campaign, circa 2016.
Voters need to feel that DeSantis stands for THEM, not for conservatives as such. What connected Republican voters to Trump in 2016 -- and, for many, what connects them still -- is a sense of empathy that DeSantis still lacks.
It's not too late. DeSantis can -- against the odds -- overtake Trump. But even if he doesn't, he can also bring something to the race. That "something" is his home state: Florida. "Make America Florida Again," as the wisecrack goes.
Give us more than the distorted picture that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats are portraying. Tell us the story of successful governance. Export the model -- whether you win or lose. That's how to make a difference.
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
