Welcome to summer! I'll have a Little League update that you are not going to want to miss! And beyond that... the "very fine people" hoax is officially dead! Just in time for the first presidential debate! Is that a coincidence? Hmmm...
We'll look ahead to the debate -- and to what promises to be an exciting week at the Supreme Court, with many important decisions coming down in the last week of the term. Plus there's the Hunter Biden verdict -- and appeal...
We'll have two special guests who are active on Israel -- one is musician John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting), a genius who has led the way among artists in rallying support for Israel after October 7. And Anne Herzberg of NGO Monitor will tell us who's really behind the wave of Biden anti-Israel sanctions.
Plus another exciting edition of the Trumpian Virtues -- this time, focusing on "Tenacity," which has been in the news lately as a pull for black voters...
Special guests
Wren Williams - Virginia state delegate, on the Hunter Biden verdict
Ken Klukowski - Breitbart News legal editor, on SCOTUS and the debate
John Ondrasik - Five for Fighting, on his music and support for Israel
Anne Herzberg - Legal advisor and UN rep., on anti-Israel sanctions
Emma-Jo Morris - Breitbart News political editor, on the upcoming debate
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874
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
