I'm heading to Israel tomorrow with Rebel TV to visit and take a look at the dynamic political situation there. Next week, I'll visit the UAE for the first time. It's going to be a dramatic, high-energy week.
My primary interest is in assessing the debate over judicial reform. I'm planning on attending a pro-government demonstration on Thursday night, and an anti-government protest on Saturday night.
Both sides are setting up the fight as a test of democracy. In fact, it's a test of LIBERAL democracy versus POPULIST democracy. Too much populism can lead to despotism; but liberal elitism is also tyranny.
There is much that we can learn from this debate, which is playing out in the U.S. and in much of the Western world. The liberal creed risks surrendering the core values that make our civilization work.
The populist path risks snuffing out the dynamic and creative spirit that fuels innovation, trade, and growth. These forces must coexist in a creative tension, but instead we have division, conflict, and misery.
I've also had a long-standing interest in Israeli-Arab peace, so the visit to the UAE is going to be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I'll head to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, as well as Dubai.
Finally, as it is the month of Elul, a time of renewal, I'm planning a personal mission to visit each of Israel's four bodies of water: the Mediterranean, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea.
Stay tuned for my adventures... this will be the best place to see most of what I post, though obviously I will be posting articles at Breitbart.com. I'm on Twitter @joelpollak and Instagram @pollakjoel.
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
