The debt limit deal is good for the country -- i.e. default is bad -- and great for Republicans, who won on nearly every single important issue. There will be modest spending caps; there will be work requirements for welfare; and the president will co-own the resumption of student loan repayments this fall.
Democrats "won" on issues that were never really issues. Medicare and Social Security were never at risk, for example. President Joe Biden claimed that the GOP were going to kill grandma, cut law enforcement, etc. These were always lies and the claim that Democrats "protected" these priorities is laughable.
On the one hand, Biden created room for himself to reach a deal by creating these false compromises. On the other, by talking up the parade of horribles that would ensue if Republicans failed to capitulate, he also made it impossible for his party to exert any leverage. Refusing to negotiate at the start also hurt.
Republicans "won" in circumstances when they have usually lost -- i.e. having control of just one house of Congress -- because they united around the conservative leadership of Kevin McCarthy, and because -- let's be honest -- Biden is a terrible negotiator. Not the guy you want making deals with China.
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
