We end the Torah with Moses's final blessing to the Children of Israel before he passes away and is buried in a secret location on Mount Nebo, ending the Torah (and setting the stage for the Book of Joshua and all the great deeds therein).
Then we begin again, starting the Torah from Genesis: "In the beginning...". This is a common starting point for Judeo-Christian belief -- though there are some fascinating Christian interpretations of even the first few words that mark a point of departure.
The portion continues until just before the story of Noah. Along the way, we meet the longest-living person in the Bible -- namely, Methuselah, who lived 969 years. No one quite made it to 1,000 -- a Heavenly day.
Why did Methuselah live that long? Not necessarily through his own merit. His father, Enoch, is described as one of the few righteous men of that era. But he himself only lived to the age of 365, relatively short for that time in the Bible.
It is in the nature of parenthood to exhibit a sense of self-sacrifice. One cannot live only for one's children; one must live for oneself as well, as best one can. But on some level the idea that our children will exceed us is our greatest hope.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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