This week's portion is named for Pinchas, the man who stopped a plague in the midst of the Israelites by stabbing a Jewish prince and his Moabite lover as they were, ahem, in the middle of their tryst.
This is a tough portion to understand and absorb. The issue isn't so much having sex with someone outside the fold, but rather the brazen way in which it was done, i.e. with maximum publicity.
Then there's the vigilante aspect of it. Pinchas acted without being told to do so, or authorized. He is lavishly rewarded by God, but his act in any other context would simply have been brutal murder.
I think the most important message here is that sometimes boundaries have to be set in ways that we would normally refrain from using. You have to be cruel to be kind, to allow life to flourish.
Parents yell at kids sometimes, and it can be excessive, but it may also be necessary so that kids know where the hard lines are. They can't set boundaries for themselves. You have to strike a balance.
The reward is the richness of life that grows within those boundaries. Pinchas is also the portion that describes all the major Jewish holidays. So within clear moral bounds, there is room for great joy.
This is the final edition of THE AGENDA -- finished a few days early!
This week's portion elucidates some of the first laws and principles of the Torah that follow the Ten Commandments, including -- a message particularly relevant to freed slaves -- the Jewish restrictions on indentured servitude.
God also provides the basic civil laws of Jewish society, governing almost every area of life -- in this one portion! -- as well as several basic principles of faith and religious observance. Moses then ascends Sinai for 40 days.
One of the laws God gives is the law against taunting a foreigner. This is different from allowing people to enter your land illegally; it is about showing respect, however, for people from other lands and other groups.
I am reminded of the importance of this principle because of the rhetoric lately attacking Elon Musk, a fellow South African-turned-American, for his foreign roots -- often by people who favor illegal immigration, ironically.
...
Since the Palisades Fire on January 7, my posts have been fairly sparse. I have just been so busy -- fighting the fire, covering the fire, helping neighbors, and launching a new podcast, "Three Homeless Guys," with two local friends.
Things are up and down. My family is still displaced, and we haven't resolved our living situation. We are awaiting answers from the insurance company (State Farm) on what they will cover, including alternative living expenses.
There are some incredible opportunities opening up -- more on that later -- and our kids are generally doing well, though this has been hard for them as well (especially the two middle kids, who miss their friends and their house).
The emotion of it all hit me yesterday. Today I feel wrung out. But I also feel that, in a way, going through the fire has been a process of refinement, of re-casting in a new mould, to face new challenges. And to win each new day.
So much to talk about, once again, as the Trump administration continues at breakneck pace. From DOGE chewing through the federal bureaucracy, to Marco Rubio heading out on his first missions for Trump, there's so much...
Special guests:
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on the L.A. fires and reforming CA insurance
Matt Boyle -- Breitbart News political editor, on DOGE and confirmations
Jamie Paige -- founder of the Westside Current, on L.A. politics and the fires
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Rubio and Russia/Ukraine
Rob Hersov -- South African commentator, on SA's fight with the White House
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