This week's portion recounts many of the most interesting events in the life of Abraham -- from the visit of the three angels; to the argument with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah; to the expulsion of Ishmael and Hagar; and to the near-sacrifice of Isaac, the ultimate test of Abraham's faith and love.
It's hard to imagine a man who loves God so much that he is willing to sacrifice the thing he loves the most -- especially when it is his son. It is also, if we are honest with ourselves, hard to image why God would ever ask this of someone.
It seems there is a connection between the argument that Abraham has with God on the one hand, and the test of the sacrifice of Isaac, on the other.
If human beings needed to know that God would deal justly with the world, and had to test him, then perhaps God needed to know that human beings would believe in Him, and had to test Abraham just as Abraham had tested him.
Perhaps God also wanted to show Abraham just how painful it was for Him to sacrifice his own creatures in Sodom and Gomorrah, to show him -- though a similar experience -- that it was not easy for him to kill them, evil as they were.
The additional reading tells a related story from II Kings: the story of the Prophet Elisha and a young boy -- like Isaac, a prophesied gift to a barren couple -- who later died, and was resurrected through healing and prayer.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2492488&p=complete
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:
- Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
- Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
- Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
- Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
- DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV
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
