It's the week of July 4th -- so we'll be looking ahead to that. But of course we also have last Thursday's debate to talk about, and what it means. As we hit the airwaves, the Biden family will supposedly be meeting to discuss the campaign.
And my former colleague, Steve Bannon, will be preparing to go to prison tomorrow, for a ridiculous conviction set up by the ridiculous January 6 Committee, prosecuted by the partisan DOJ in the biased D.C. courts.
If I were that side, I wouldn't be doing a thing like that right now... not after Thursday night... when it seems likelier than ever that Trump will win, and Bannon will be back on top... the consequences may be somewhat... grim.
I want the Democrats to field the strongest candidate possible: our country deserves it. But they can't really find a way, because even their replacement will stink. So, given how they have behaved, I want them to feel that pinch.
Anyway. There's more to discuss, including our nation's birthday, and the upcoming semiquincentennial, i.e. the 250th, which the next president will preside over ... you wouldn't want that to be Joe Biden or a Democrat, right?
Plus there is another day of Supreme Court decisions, and the ongoing fight against antisemitism. Oh -- and don't miss the latest installment in the "Trumpian Virtues": "Philosemitism," the love of the Jewish people.
Special guests:
Daniel Greenfield - "Sultan Knish," on the attack on the L.A. synagogue
Carrie Severino - Judicial Crisis Network, on the Supreme Court decisions
Gianno Caldwell, Caldwell Institute for Public Safety, on urban crime
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
