This week's portion involves so many of the great stories of Abraham -- from his hospitality to the three guests (angels in disguise); to the birth (and near-sacrifice) of Isaac; to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah -- and Abraham's plea to save them if enough innocent men could be found in them, which is really a plea for God to show Himself to be just, not punishing the innocent with the wicked.
The latter argument has been on my mind lately as I contemplate the war in Gaza. The world insists on the protection of Palestinian civilians, and Israel is trying to protect them as it goes after Hamas. But many Israelis wonder whether Palestinian civilians are really innocent, if so many of them are indoctrinated to hate Israelis and Jews. Civilians joined in the looting and carnage of Oct. 7, after all.
It seems Israel is expected, and expects itself, to behave as Abraham demanded God behaved -- to separate the innocent from the guilty. But ultimately Sodom and Gomorrah failed that test. The message from the Bible is that evil must ultimately be confronted -- and that if it cannot be redeemed somehow, it must face destruction.
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
