This week's portion marks the start of the book of Leviticus. It also is Shabbat Zachor -- the Sabbath of remembrance, which always precedes the holiday of Purim. It contains the commandment to remember the evil of Amalek.
Haman, the villain in the Purim story, who sought to eliminate all of the Jews, is a descendant of Amalek. The commandment is to remember the evil of Amalek in attacking Israel, and to fight injustice and persecution in every generation.
This commandment recently made international news headlines when Israel's critics, including the South African lawyers who brought charges of "genocide" against Israel at the International Court of Justice, cited -- or misquoted -- it.
The South African lawyers quoted a passage from Samuel in which Saul is commanded to wipe out Amalek. The actual, relevant passage to Jewish tradition is the familiar passage from Deuteronomy about remembering.
Though we read the passage from Samuel (Samuel I 15:1-34) in the additional reading, or Haftarah, there is no contemporary injunction to destroy Amalek; we do not even know who Amalek would be in today's world, generations later.
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
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
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
