Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Thoughts on my trip to Israel

I'm on the El Al flight to Israel. It's almost full, just like the one I took 3 weeks ago. It was encouraging to see a giant pile of duffel bags and suitcases at LAX: donations for the war effort from friends of Israel.

I've been wrestling with this trip a bit. The last one was special; I cannot expect it will be the same. And I have also been enjoying my children and my wife a lot the past several days. It's hard to leave.

At the same time -- I know there are men deep inside Gaza right now who have left their wives and children at home for weeks, to fight a terror that not only threatens Israel, but all of us around the world.

I cannot sit this one out. I cannot stay at home and say, thankfully, that I and my loved ones are safe. I have to go; I have to write the story, at some personal risk. It is a duty, and it is worth the effort.

Something happened to me over the past two weeks that hasn't happened to me before: people have come up to me, over and over, and told me how closely they followed my writing on Israel.

I'm bearing witness in a way that I cannot simply do from afar. And so I must go. And I'm happy to go, happier still as the journey goes along. Happy to be there, to remind Israelis that they are not alone.

I don't know exactly what I will see. I'm starting in the north, then going south. There will be interviews, meetings, chance encounters. Maybe a rocket attack or two. We shall see. It will be worthwhile.

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Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
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This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

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The drive home 💔
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Weekly Torah reading: Shlach (Numbers 13:1 - 15:41)

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 ...

Weekly Torah portion: Beha'alotecha (Numbers 8:1 - 12:16)

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.

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2495737&jewish=Behaalotecha-Torah-Reading.htm&p=complete

Weekly Torah reading: Naso Numbers 4:21 - 7:89

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

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