This week's portion describes the life of Isaac, who lived a more peaceful life than that of his father Abraham, or his son Jacob. Indeed, Isaac is so quiet that some commentaries wonder if he suffered enduring trauma from his near-sacrifice.
I don't think so: it looks like Isaac is quite happy. He lives a conservative life, occupied with re-establishing and protecting his father's wells, rather than digging new ones. This is a valid, and valuable, orientation to the world: not everyone has to be an innovator or a disrupter. Sometimes it it more important to preserve what previous generations have left to us.
The most remarkable aspect of Isaac's life is his marriage to Rebecca. It is the happiest pairing in the Bible. We are even given some insight into the joy and happiness they enjoy in their sexual relations, when the Bible says that Isaac was delighting his wife (Genesis 26:8), which implies he was doing so in an intimate way.
And yet, Rebecca intervenes to make sure that Isaac blesses Jacob, and not Esau, tricking her husband by stimulating his physical senses -- his love of meat, for example -- rather than making the case to Isaac directly herself.
Is that a sign of a healthy marriage, or an unhealthy one? Ultimately, Rebecca is right -- but perhaps insisting to her husband that she knew what was best for the family might have led to tensions. So she fooled him, with Jacob's help.
Notably, Isaac is distraught when he discovers the ruse, but does not blame his wife, or even think to suspect her. The lesson here is not that one should try to deceive one's spouse, but rather that a happy marriage is one in which partners understand each other's motivations in a way that is beyond the need for words.
The additional reading, from I Samuel, talks about the tragic parting of David and Jonathan, the two best friends in the Bible. There is a thematic link to this week's portion, in that Jacob must also part from his family. But the other, perhaps deeper, link, is the story about the bond between these two souls -- one so close that it did not even need physical closeness to endure. The story of Isaac thus evokes themes of love and friendship that recur throughout the Bible.
This is the final edition of THE AGENDA -- finished a few days early!
This week's portion elucidates some of the first laws and principles of the Torah that follow the Ten Commandments, including -- a message particularly relevant to freed slaves -- the Jewish restrictions on indentured servitude.
God also provides the basic civil laws of Jewish society, governing almost every area of life -- in this one portion! -- as well as several basic principles of faith and religious observance. Moses then ascends Sinai for 40 days.
One of the laws God gives is the law against taunting a foreigner. This is different from allowing people to enter your land illegally; it is about showing respect, however, for people from other lands and other groups.
I am reminded of the importance of this principle because of the rhetoric lately attacking Elon Musk, a fellow South African-turned-American, for his foreign roots -- often by people who favor illegal immigration, ironically.
...
Since the Palisades Fire on January 7, my posts have been fairly sparse. I have just been so busy -- fighting the fire, covering the fire, helping neighbors, and launching a new podcast, "Three Homeless Guys," with two local friends.
Things are up and down. My family is still displaced, and we haven't resolved our living situation. We are awaiting answers from the insurance company (State Farm) on what they will cover, including alternative living expenses.
There are some incredible opportunities opening up -- more on that later -- and our kids are generally doing well, though this has been hard for them as well (especially the two middle kids, who miss their friends and their house).
The emotion of it all hit me yesterday. Today I feel wrung out. But I also feel that, in a way, going through the fire has been a process of refinement, of re-casting in a new mould, to face new challenges. And to win each new day.
So much to talk about, once again, as the Trump administration continues at breakneck pace. From DOGE chewing through the federal bureaucracy, to Marco Rubio heading out on his first missions for Trump, there's so much...
Special guests:
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on the L.A. fires and reforming CA insurance
Matt Boyle -- Breitbart News political editor, on DOGE and confirmations
Jamie Paige -- founder of the Westside Current, on L.A. politics and the fires
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Rubio and Russia/Ukraine
Rob Hersov -- South African commentator, on SA's fight with the White House
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