This week's portion is best known for containing the story of the Golden Calf, one of the great spiritual tragedies in the history of the world. It remains an enduring mystery: how could the people turn away from God, so soon after the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the great revelation of His presence?
Sometimes there are similar tragedies in love -- a betrayal by one of the lovers in the course of courtship, which has no apparent purpose or explanation.
Amazingly, the reconciliation between God and the people of Israel creates an even stronger bond -- just as the reconciliation between lovers, if it is still possible, can create a relationship that is even stronger than it was before.
There is also the wonderful principle of the half-shekel census -- counting people by counting coins, rather than treating human beings like numbers. Unlike the lavish contributions to the Tabernacle, which reflected a person's means and willingness to pay, the half-shekel is a reminder that we are all equal in God's eyes, though we may have different talents or material means.
The additional reading (Kings I 18:20-39) tells the story of the Prophet Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Last year, on a visit to Israel, I saw the mountain where that confrontation is thought to have happened, as well as the Kidron Brook to which he pursued the false prophets.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
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This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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