Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Weekly Torah Reading: Pinchas (Numbers 25:10 - 30:1)

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.

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2495776&jewish=Pinchas-Torah-Reading.htm&p=complete

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Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
00:00:17
This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

00:00:16
The drive home 💔
00:00:46
Breitbart News Sunday; show rundown (October 5, 2025)

Today's episode is devoted to the second anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks. It was produced before the announcement of a ceasefire deal, yet remains current & relevant.

Please listen, and #bringthemhome.

SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET (4-7 PT)

Weekly Torah reading: Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-52)

This week's portion is a beautiful poem, containing the Covenant between God and the people of Israel. But given the breaking news that Hamas may actually have agreed to release all of the Israeli hostages, I will devote my remarks to that.

One hopes it is true; if so, it makes this week's additional reading, from II Samuel 22, even more relevant: David's song of praise to the Lord for delivering him from the hand of his enemies.

"18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support."

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2495834&jewish=Haazinu-Torah-Reading.htm&p=complete

Breitbart News Sunday: September 28, 2028

So much to focus on this week -- and much breaking news. A peace deal in the Middle East, perhaps? Eric Adams dropping out of the mayor's race? And a looming shutdown as Democrats push their demands beyond absurdity.

Special guests:

  • Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the shutdown
  • John Carney - Breitbart News financial editor, on the upcoming jobs report
  • Jerome Hudson - Breitbart News entertainment editor, on the Kimmel fallout
  • Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on the UN and Gaza talks
  • Matisyahu - award-winning reggae artist, on his new album, "Ancient Child"

Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874

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