Fox News has come in for a lot of criticism lately, but right now it is the only network I can find, as I write this, that is airing a memorial in Escondido, California, to the 13 men and women who were killed in a terror attack during the chaotic evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan 2 years ago -- one of the greatest military disasters in U.S. history.
The stories of the bereaved parents are heartbreaking. And they are furious at the Biden Administration. They feel that their children were not given enough protection; more than that, they feel that their sons and daughters have been dishonored by the president, the civilian leadership of the military, and the military commanders in charge.
These voices need to be heard. They have largely been forgotten, but they are raising an alarm about the lack of focus, the lack of purpose, that has taken over our military under Biden -- who began with a so-called political purge of the armed forces, and has continued with an indoctrination in LGBTQ propaganda that compromises readiness.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
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This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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