This week kicks off the book of Exodus. It contains an early example of antisemitism: while Jews have achieved status and respect in Egypt, thanks to Joseph's role in saving it from famine and enriching the monarchy, a new Pharaoh arises who "knew not Joseph."
The new Pharaoh argues for enslaving the Jews, or Hebrews, under a contradictory logic that has marked antisemitism ever since: the Jews are too numerous, and yet we are afraid they will leave (1:10).
The essence of antisemitism is really suspicion of a group that lives according to a different and more stringent set of ethical norms.
Those norms tend to bring prosperity and happiness, compounding the reasons for envy and hatred.
Ultimately, antisemitism is self-defeating: the Jews leave Egypt anyway.
Thus it remains today.
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 ...
