This week's portion contains the rules for bringing the first fruits to the Temple, and for tithing. Most famously, it includes a lengthy discussion of the blessings for obeying God -- and, ominously, the curses that await for disobeying him.
It is custom in many synagogues to read the curses quietly and quickly, as opposed to in the loud, melodious way Torah verses are usually chanted during the reading. We don't want to obsess over what might happen if things are bad.
There's a lesson in that: you acknowledge the risks of failure, but don't obsess over them. Keep the good choices, and their payoffs, in mind, because what we think about tends to manifest itself in our lives. Our minds have great power.
My son’s Little League All-Star team won a tournament yesterday. He went 2-for-2 with a single (here) and a double, both solid hits.
Is paternity leave worth it? I've never really taken it, and don't plan to this time... my wife isn't formally taking maternity leave, either, both because her job depends on being in touch with the markets, and also because it's not really a great deal. Last time, she had to wait to be paid through California's state unemployment compensation fund... which is not great, or at least it wasn't, during COVID.
One positive legacy of COVID is the ease of working from home. That has made balancing parenthood and work life a lot easier for those of us fortunate enough to be able to swing that particular schedule.
Of course, there are days and times you enjoy, and times to take off, and so much to savor in the early days of your baby's life. I'm fully intending to take advantage of all of that -- especially with the Jewish High Holidays arriving.
Today's show is very special, not least because ... I have a new son, born early this morning. My wife's s a champ. Very grateful that I can still do the show!
We have a special show today in other ways. We'll be talking about the state of the 2024 presidential race, where the polls -- some of them, anyway -- suggest Kamala Harris has a slight lead, but Trump seems to have done everything right in the past week, while she still has very little to say about anything important.
There's also a war looming between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Actually, it's pretty much a war already. We'll discuss what's going on at the moment -- and what the future prospects may be, plus the issue of antisemitism.
Special guests:
Michael Levine - author, discussing who the remaining undecided voters are
David Friedman - former ambassador to Israel, on his book, "The Jewish State"
Jonathan Cahn - pastor, discussing his book, "The Dragon Prophecy"
J. Christian Adams - of U.S. Civil Rights Commission, on...
