Chapter 34 of Genesis tells a relevant story about civilian casualties in war. An evil prince kidnaps and rapes Jacob's daughter, Dina -- and then wants to marry her. Jacob's sons pretend to entertain the offer, and then Simeon and Levi enter the city, kill everyone, and rescue Dina.
The Bible suggests the residents of the city deserved to die for their evil behavior. But Jacob is furious, and rebukes his sons: "You have troubled me, to discredit me among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and among the Perizzites, and I am few in number, and they will gather against me and attack me, and I and my household will be destroyed." (34:30)
The next chapter tells us what actually happened: "Then they traveled, and the fear of God was upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue Jacob's sons." (35:5) So what Jacob feared did not come to pass.
But Jacob never forgives Simeon and Levi. On his deathbed, he rebukes them again: "Let my soul not enter their counsel; my honor, you shall not join their assembly, for in their wrath they killed a man, and with their will they hamstrung a bull."
The point of avoiding civilian casualties is not just that the world will object. The world does not object to civilian casualties generally (anyone heard from Nagorno Karabakh lately?); it respects victory and strength, perhaps perversely.
But Jacob's point is that cruelty is corrosive, internally. That, ultimately, is the reason he cannot forgive his sons. Their murder of the entire town was immoral. Rescue the captive, and punish the guilty, but do not lose yourself in the process.
This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?
Special guests:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
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This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.
In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.
The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.
Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.
We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...
We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.
Special guests:
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874
