Just got back from boxing class. This is my favorite sport at the moment, both to do and to watch. (Mayweather will win tonight, by the way.) I’ve always liked boxing, but I only took it up about four years ago, after running wasn’t quite doing it for me, and my wife teased me about needing to keep up with the ripped sailors at her Navy base (she’s in the reserves). I joined a fantastic gym called Gloveworx, which is run by Leyon Azubuike and his incredible staff. They endured through the pandemic — through shutdowns, riots, vandalism, you name it. It’s a place full of positive energy. The challenge is incredible. The regular workouts are hard enough, but sparring — which I haven’t done much of since COVID — is brutal. It’s you against someone at least as strong as you are, and probably stronger, pushing you to go beyond your limits. The key to survival is to rely on the fundamentals — keep your fists up, keep moving, remember your footwork, use your hips, and never turn your back. There are great people at the gym — including celebrities, actual boxers (active and retired), fitness professionals, and local moms from school. I am here about 2-3 times per week, usually after watching the White House press briefing or recording a podcast.
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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