The Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter is suing the City of Santa Monica, which was smashed and looted during Black Lives Matter protests a year ago.
It's tempting to laugh at this sort of blue-on-blue lawsuit, which claims that a "progressive" city is in fact a repressive totalitarian regime bent on suppressing freedom of expression. It must hurt to be sued by the mob that Santa Monica's left-wing politicians have probably spent months praising to the hilt.
However, these cases are often designed to lead to ridiculous settlements in which the city gives the plaintiffs everything they want and the residents and taxpayers are basically powerless to stop either side. And Santa Monica is also a place I love. I was really, really upset about the riots last year. I still am.
Black Lives Matter claims that the police are responsible for the looting, because they focused on arresting peaceful protesters and interfering with their constitutional rights. That's not what happened. The unlawful protest drained police resources and provided cover for the looters and rioters literally one block away. The riots and looting happened because of Black Lives Matter.
This is not the first Black Lives Matter lawsuit, and it won't be the last, against a city they wounded and nearly destroyed. Perhaps a Democratic municipal leader will finally stand up to them. Perhaps dolphins will fly out of the ocean.
This is the portion that all journalists should love: the Torah tells the story of the 12 spies, only two of whom tell the truth when the other ten shade it in a negative away (perhaps to suit a political agenda that is opposed to Moses).
It's not that the ten "lying" spies misconstrue the facts about the Land of Israel; rather, they interject their opinions that the land is impossible to conquer, which strikes unnecessary terror into the hearts of the people.
We have many examples of such fake news today -- from the Iranian propaganda outlets spreading false claims that they are winning the war, to California politicians spreading false horror stories about ICE raids in L.A.
The people realize, too late, that they have been fooled, and once they are condemned to die in the desert, they try to rush into Israel -- only to be defeated by the inhabitants, as the spies predicted that they would be.
But as consolation, God gives the people new commandments -- focused on things they must ...
This week's portion discusses the procedure for lighting the menorah, the holy seven-branched lamp, in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). It also describes an episode where the people crave meat, and God punishes them by giving it to them in excess. We also read the story of Miriam, Moses's sister, who is punished with the spiritual skin blemish of tzara'at for speaking about her brother, thus violating the prohibition against lashon hara (evil tongue).
I heard a fantastic sermon this week about the lighting of the menorah: that while only the priests were qualified to clean and purify the menorah, anyone could light it. A reminder that each of us can inspire others along the way.
This week we study the vow of the Nazirite; a reminder that sometimes trying to be too holy is excessive, and the best we can do is to be the best that we are.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495720/p/complete/jewish/Naso-Torah-Reading.htm
