Thus begins the end. Moses takes his position at the front of the Children of Israel for the last time, to offer a valediction and a blessing. He must, in one grand speech, prepare them to enter the Promised Land -- and without him.
He summarizes the journey so far -- a journey that almost none of the people in front of him experienced personally, at least in its entirety, since the generation of the Exodus died in the desert, almost without exception.
And he brings the narrative to the present moment, foreshadowing the end of his speech and the next phase of the journey, where he will hand over the reins to Joshua. This is a classic introduction, telling his audience where he is going.
This Saturday is a special Sabbath, called Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. It always precedes the Ninth of Av, the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, when the destruction of the Holy Temples took place.
Just as Moses points to the eventual role of Joshua, and the entry into the land of Israel, after his death, so, too, we contemplate the eventual redemption that lies beyond the sadness of the Ninth of Av, and the happiness that is to come.
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:
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