Many Jewish people have spent the last several days feeling very alone. It seems, in moments of crisis, that the world is against us, or indifferent to the suffering of Jews, especially in "strong" Israel.
But as of Monday evening, support is pouring in from around the world. First and foremost from the Abraham Accords allies -- the UAE and Bahrain. Then from -- of all people -- Barack Obama.
Obama's support was very important because it wasn't just about peace, or mourning the loss of life. Obama explicitly endorsed the idea of "dismantl[ing]" Hamas. That's a big change for him.
It also guarantees victory. It means that there will be bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S., and little space between U.S. and Israeli policy. The alliance, in spite of everything, has come through.
Trump gets credit for setting the example: stand with Israel, and our shared enemies fall. Support Israel in war, and reap the benefits of peace. Biden has belatedly come around (as in other areas).
Many people are attending mournful prayers -- and there is much to mourn. But after crying off and on for the past few days, I feel that victory is certain, and peace inevitable. It will be hard, but it will BE.
On Sunday, I left my desk to go back to the synagogue to participate in the hakafot -- the parades in which we carry the Torah scrolls to celebrate completing Deuteronomy and starting anew in Genesis.
One of the parades traditionally leaves the synagogue and heads outside -- in our community, to the beach. I usually love that one; one year, I carried a Torah scroll half a mile away, down the sand.
Side note: I actually found some Jews way down there, who did not know it was the holiday of Simchat Torah. They asked to hold the Torah; they kissed it. It was a little miracle that I found them there.
This year, I did not feel like singing, or dancing, or even carrying a Torah. But I brought an Israeli flag and unfurled it at the side of the Pacific Coast Highway. I held it up, tears streaming down my face.
And the cars honked. And the people waved. And the motorcycle engines revved and roared in approval. And the people of liberal Los Angeles California showed their love and their support for Israel.
And the people of our little congregation, who felt so embattled, carried the Torah scrolls back to our synagogue with pride, because they felt loved. And so we witnessed another little miracle. Onward.
This week's show will be slightly different from the norm: we'll focus on clips and topics, rather than guests -- and that, hopefully, will mean more input from the callers (unless you are all watching football on opening weekend).
Topics:
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's Torah portion includes several laws about conduct in civic and personal life, the common theme of which is boundaries -- setting bounds to what one may do at home, at work, and even in the battlefield.
One noteworthy passage concerns Amalek, the evil nation that attacked the Children of Israel as they made their Exodus from slavery to freedom. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands Jews to obliterate Amalek's memory.
The South African government accused Israel of genocide on the basis of a story about Amalek in the Book of Samuel, in which King Saul was commanded to wipe out the entire evil Amalekite nation.
Because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted this week's portion -- "Remember what Amalek did to you" (25:17), the South African government claimed he was commanding soldiers to commit genocide.
It was an absurd and malevolent misreading of the Bible and of Jewish tradition. The commandment, as observed by Jews today, is to remember the evil of Amalek and fight ...