Welcome back to summer! The first show of Daylight Savings Time is here.
President Donald Trump impressed the nation with his address to Congress this week -- and Democrats had no idea how to respond. But now is when the proverbial rubber hits the road. Will his shake-up of DC benefit Americans?
Democrats are beginning to make the case that Trump's tariffs and cuts to government are going to hurt the economy. Even the uncertainty of his style, they say, will hurt. Republicans know they can only blame Biden for so long.
Meanwhile, in L.A., the cleanup from the Palisades and Eaton fires continues. We're nearing a critical point, when people will have to decide whether they can rebuild -- or whether they will have to sell because the costs are too high.
We'll also interview a Bay Area legend, conservative radio host Michael Savage, about his interview with Governor Gavin Newsom on his podcast (which, with Charlie Kirk, has already caused some problems for Newsom).
The week ahead will feature key votes on Trump's budget -- and for his agenda generally. Democrats are trying to avoid saying how they will vote, and whether they will really shut down the government over DOGE.
Special guests:
John Carney -- Breitbart News financial editor, on the economy
Kathryn Barger -- L.A. County Supervisor, on the recovery from the fires
Nick Gilbertson -- Breitbart News White House correspondent, on the Oval
Michael Savage -- radio legend, on his interview on Gavin Newsom's podcast
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET
Call: 866-957-2874
This week'd portion begins the book of Numbers. Interestingly, the Hebrew name for the book is "In the Desert," not "Numbers." The portion, which happens to be my bar mitzvah portion, focuses almost as much on the names of the princes of each tribe as the number of soldiers it fielded. It also focuses on the configuration of the tribal camps around the central Tabernacle and the Levites.
So why "Numbers" instead of "Names" or "Places"? The numbers are, to be sure, a unique feature of the opening of this Biblical book -- but they are not the focus of the rest of the narrative. The Hebrew focuses on the place where the events in the book take place, because essentially this is the narrative of the Israelites' wanderings from Egypt to Israel, across 40 years. We move from the giving of the Torah and the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus and Leviticus, to the final valediction of Moses in Deuteronomy -- Bamidbar is the story of wandering that happened in between.
The question of ...
This week's portion begins with the laws of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical year, and the Jubilee year that restores all land to its original (tribal) owners. It also explores laws of property and labor that will apply in the Land of Israel, and the laws of vows and inheritance.
The Israelites are presented -- not for the last time -- with the essential moral choice that they must face, and the rewards for choosing well, along with the consequences for choosing poorly.
We learn that doing good things will earn God's protection from enemies. That does not mean that victims of terror, God forbid, were sinful. But it does mean that we can respond to evil by committing ourselves to a higher path.
This week's portion describes the major sacrifices that are to be offered by the Jewish people, including those that are offered only by the priestly Kohen class, and physical requirements of the people (men) who serve in that role.
Inter alia, there are interesting commandments -- such as an injection to treat animals with respect and care, first, by letting a mother animal nurse her offspring for a week before being offered in any sacrifice; and second, by refraining from slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day.
The commandments regarding animals remind us of the purpose of those regarding human beings: to uphold a divine connection, through ritual.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111878/jewish/Rabbi-Isaac-Luria-The-Ari-Hakodosh.htm
