This is my favorite portion in the entire Torah, and often brings me to tears. After Judah's passionate plea on behalf of Benjamin, Joesph reveals himself to his brothers, and comforts them, saying their sin was part of God's plan.
Pharaoh, too, is delighted, and urges Joseph to bring his family, including his elderly father, to Egypt. Pharaoh adds: "Do not even give a thought to your belongings." (44:20). There perhaps is an important lesson in that remark.
When we make changes, we have to commit to them. Jacob and his sons would have to leave the Promised Land to descend to Egypt. In doing so, they would certainly have been wondering if they were making a reasonable choice.
Were they not already in the Promised Land? Why wouldn't they stay there once they had arrived? Hadn't it been hard enough to return once, when Jacob -- now Israel -- had to face the prospect of war and death at the hands of Esau?
Sometimes we have to make choices that turn out to be part of our overall destiny, even if they do not appear at first to be in line with our goals. That does not mean giving up on our goals, but perhaps giving up a level of control.
Note that Pharaoh -- at this stage, a God-fearing character -- does not tell them to forget about the Land of Israel. He tells them to forget about their "belongings" -- their material possessions that they must one day lose anyway.
We have to let go of things that do not matter in order to make choices that take us down unexpected paths toward the things that matter most. And we have to trust that God Himself in in charge of our overall mission and journey.
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
