This week's double portion is the last one before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It emphasizes the theme of Deuteronomy -- that the people have been given the choice between good and evil, and each side of that choice has consequences.
One interesting element, which becomes even stronger in the portion that follows these, is that Moses suspends chronology. He is not just talking to the generation in front of him, but to all future generations. In one "meta" passage, the Torah describes Moses's act of writing it.
In a sense, those who hear these portions read aloud can think of themselves as standing, today, in front of Moses and hearing his final words -- just as we think of ourselves as having left Egypt ourselves, and having witnesses the revelation at Sinai personally. Time is but a convention.
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)
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."
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.
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