I have been a lot calmer since Monday. I've asked myself why. I think there are 4 reasons. 1. Friends reached out. That helped. 2. I was able to focus on work. That helps me feel I am doing something. 3. Obama tweeted that Israel should "dismantle" Hamas. That's a major change and means Israel will have diplomatic cover to win the war. 4. I went to a gym class on Monday, despite not wanting to, and felt better.
Here's my advice. You can't escape the news about the war, or the arguments; and some of us actually need to be engaged. But there is a way to do it without sacrificing your mental or physical health, and while managing daily life in a way that doesn't make you feel crazy.
1. Focus on the everyday. Don't drop your regular routines, even if they have to change a bit to make time for some wartime stuff.
2. Don't get bogged down in arguments about what happened; focus on what needs to happen -- i.e. getting rid of Hamas, forever.
3. Consume news skeptically. This includes, especially, news that "helps" your side. View it all skeptically. The basic facts don't change.
4. Do fun things. Take a walk. Go for a swim. Make love. Don't feel guilty about any of it. Try to avoid substances. Take care of yourself.
5. Be patient with angry or upset people. That includes yourself. It's ok to be angry. Walk away from social media for a while, if so.
6. Reach out to people on the other side of this, if you know any. Don't discuss. Don't argue. Just say "Hi, hope you're ok."
7. Remember this: Palestinians would have a state if they made peace, and built one. Peace is a choice. It's also still a possibility.
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:
- The state of the economy
- The fight against crime
- The midterm election fight
- The struggle for peace between Russia and Ukraine
- The airstrike on the Venezuelan drug cartel
- The attempt to sink Kennedy
- The war in Gaza
- The case against Harvard
- The Trump presidency
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 ...
