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As election fever sweeps through the nation, I dread that time when conversations are dominated by politics and their views. Our political views reflect such deeply held convictions that in many cases they inevitably lead to distrust and broken friendships.

In the Torah Portion this week, Abraham, the first Jew, is promised by G-d about his children, the Jewish Nation: 'Look toward the Heaven and count the stars- if you can count them! That is how your descendants will be'.

If G-d wanted to tell Abraham that he would have many Jewish descendants, he could have said so simple and straightforward! Our sages teach that no metaphor in Torah is by chance, each one carries depth to be discovered.

When you look up at the stars at night, they look pretty. But try looking at the night sky in a remote animal reserve in Africa and the beauty is beyond description! The same stars, just invisible to us civilized city dwellers. As I reflected upon this striking difference on my recent trip to South Africa, I realized the meaning of this verse: 'This is how your descendants will be'- Each Jew is a brilliant shining star. Democrat or Republican regardless, A Jew is a dazzling diamond.

If you can't see it, its only because your vision is clouded.

Step out into the pure night sky, far from the city lights and social norms and you will be dazzled by the beauty that lies within the Jew you never knew!

Should you kill a wounded terrorist?

Since the great flood of Noah in the Torah portion this week, mankind has been commanded "not to spill human blood", but does this apply to a blood-thirsty terrorist who was wounded whilst ​chasing after women and children on a Jerusalem street with a butcher knife?

Rabbis in Israel are fiercely debating this point. Rabbi David Stav ruled that “In these days in which the blood is boiling… it is important to preserve our moral superiority" and that therefore we must take the high ground and not kill the wounded terrorist. Rabbi Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Safed, criticized him sharply: “We can’t think all day about what others are thinking about us. Do not listen to Stav, for the one who is merciful to the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful."

Can you imagine how police and US army would react if arabs started a street war in Miami, Chicago and NYC stabbing random pedestrians in deliberate acts of terror? Undoubtedly, the IDF is the most humane and ethical army in the world, a fact that doesn’t always work in our favor.

We at Chabad of PBG are proud to hold our most high-profile event of the year in support of exceptional IDF soldiers. On Monday, December 7, we will hold our fourth annual Trump International Chabad Golf Classic, raising college scholarships for IDF Soldiers, thus motivating them to excel and showing them that their American brethren appreciate their courage and sacrifice.

This will be our second year raising funds for this cause. Indeed, the soldier who will soon be chosen to receive our four year college scholarship award will be our guest of honor at Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens for Shabbat on February 19, 2016.

Our honorary charity is the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) under the local leadership of Sherri Siskin, who says that "Their job is to look after Israel; our job is to look after them." And boy do they know how to show their appreciation:

This past summer, as we held our exhilarating second Mission to Israel, we were treated to a VIP IDF tour to an army base where we were allowed to mix and mingle with the valiant young warriors of the Nachson Brigade. Named for the biblical Nachson who was the first to have the guts to dive into the Red Sea upon Moses’ command, this brigade is the very first to enter the battlefield to prepare the logistics for the other army units to enter safely.

As the soldiers thanked us for sponsoring them with four year college scholarships we were whisked away to a pristine mountain peak for a VIP army luncheon with IDF commanders and officers. Our bus nearly overturned due to the difficult terrain - we actually walked part of the way - but it was well worth it. Beneath us, as far as the eye could see, lay the gorgeous land of Israel and her peace-loving, hard-working citizens. The commander became teary-eyed as he told us of how each soldier is motivated by the thought that his actions are what stands between our enemies and our families, in the most literal sense!

"Hein am levadad yiskon uvagoyim lo yischashav - Behold a Nation set apart and not recognized amongst the nations." At first glance, this seems to be an insult to Israel in the Torah, but in his touching words, the Consul General of Israel, Chaim Shacham, this past Shabbos told our capacity crowd that the Rebbeexplained this to be a beautiful blessing to Israel: We are a nation set apart, and an essential part of our separateness is that, even in the face of enemies bent on our destruction, our standards of morality and ethics are far superior to any other nation.

We are proud to be able to support the brave IDF soldiers through our Trump Golf Charity Event. Help us to help them by logging onto www.JewishGardens.com/Golf and doing your share too!

George Jenkins was the founder and owner of Publix, making $27 billion annually, and he was known to be extremely philanthropic.

Jenkins was once asked, "If you hadn't given away so much, how much do you think you would be worth today?" Without hesitation, he replied, "Probably nothing."

After all the excitement of the High Holidays, we begin the Torah anew as we read the Torah Portion of Bereishis (Genesis) this Shabbos. And it's refreshing indeed.

Though you might have studied the story of creation before, a closer look exposes an interesting discrepancy between how Man was created and how everything else was created.

With regards to everything other than Man, from fish and birds to planets and atoms, all were created through G-d's speaking them into existence. "And G-d said let there be light, and there was light'. Not so with Man. Whilst creating Adam, G-d blew the soul of life into his nostrils.

Our sages point out the powerful difference between speaking and blowing. Whilst speaking requires minimal effort from the speaker, blowing tires one out very quickly, because blowing comes from your very guts, whereas speaking does not. 

Our Kabbalists conclude, therefore, that only Mankind has a soul within him that is quite literally from G-d's essence, a piece of G-d. Everything else has merely a glimmer of G-dly energy within it.

Whilst everything else on Earth is subject to the laws of nature and instinct, we are not. What defines us is the piece of G-d within us and when it comes to G-d, the sky simply isn't the limit!

For everything else, Jenkins answer that charity made him wealthy defies logic. But for us G-dly creatures, who march to the beat of a different drummer, our G-dly soul defies nature and even mitzvahs can be turned into money. 

.......Sorry, did you miss the punchline? Wasn't that annoying?

I bet you wouldn't be willing to listen to a joke if you knew you would not get to hear the end of it. Well, going to shul on Yom Kippur and then skipping Simchas Torah is like hearing the build up to a joke and missing the punchline. It makes no sense.

On Yom Kippur we express our Jewishness; on Simchas Torah we celebrate it.

On Yom Kippur we fast with humility; on Simchas Torah we eat and drink with joy.

Yom Kippur is the day our soul shines; Simchas Torah is the day our soul dances.

....So you want to hear the punchline? See you in Shul Monday Night! 

Lets make this Holiday Count!!