While I never take sides, especially when it comes to “Goyim Naches,” Yet I do feel compelled to report that the Torah does appear to throw its support to the Eagles. And as a result, I wish to express my sincerest apologies to all of “the others.” May the best modern gladiators win . . . all I can say is, “uch, and oy vey.”
Exodus 19:4: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
and
In a similar vein, the Prophet Isaiah looks into the future (as we understand it) and adds:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” Isaiah 40:31
As I have said many times, if it is in the Torah, then it is in the world — that is to say, “the world as we know it” — of course, the underlying question will always be: what does this all mean and to what end?
Highlighted in this week’s Maftir (i.e. the concluding reading of the Torah Parsha)
Exodus 17: 10-16
Here, below: an item that affects us all: somewhat of an update on the Antisemitism Bill in the Senate
Lawler, Gottheimer to reintroduce Antisemitism Awareness Act
(perhaps file this Jewishly under “Schumer the Shomer” is at it from his particular “corner of the world”)
“The Right” has its own agenda as well.
Excerpt: The bill is expected to be re-introduced in the Senate soon, led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who is replacing former Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) as the lead Democratic sponsor.
At the very least, please read this entire excerpt — College Campuses around the nation are a source-pool for antisemitic invective and occurrences have skyrocketed in the past year — There are questions hanging in the balance, who funds it, who spends it, who represents it – who defends it. Senator Schumer has blocked it from his side of the aisle and the far right has stalled it and blocked it from the right. Truly fascinating to watch all of it play out.
The legislation failed to pass the Senate last year. Then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did not bring it up for a floor vote, instead pushing for it to be included in a year-end must-pass legislative package, a request that was rejected by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Bipartisan compromise negotiations on that effort also failed.
“In the continued aftermath of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas and Iran, we have seen college campuses across our nation become hotbeds of antisemitism where Jewish students’ rights are being threatened,” Scott said in a statement to JI. “It’s critical the Department of Education has the tools and resources it needs to investigate antisemitism and root out this vile hatred wherever it rears its ugly head. There can be no equivocating when it comes to the issue of anti-Jewish violence and harassment.”
“I’m glad to be working across the aisle with Senator Scott to introduce this critical legislation in the Senate to help tackle rising antisemitism on college campuses and at schools across the country,” Rosen said in a statement to JI.
Lawler rejected as “bunk” claims from some far-right Republicans that the legislation would criminalize or ban the Bible because the IHRA definition’s associated examples describe it as antisemitic to declare that the Jews killed Jesus.
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This evening at 7:00 PM, please be there,
Tu b’Shvat is soon (the Birthday of the Trees), which in Biblical terms means that Spring is around the corner . . . some of the Jewish captives are slowly coming home, and while the future of simply everything is more than uncertain — at the very least, the seasons will change and hopefully the coming weeks and months will heald for all of us, a change for the better.
May it be the will of Gd . . .
