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I rarely publish consecutive columns addressing the same topic. However, this election is so important that it warrants repetition. It is more important than the presidential election because it was clear that there was no way Trump was going to win New York. There are some readers who are registered as Democrats but may not be excited with any of the Democratic candidates. It would be a big mistake to sit this one out. Despite what some may believe, Curtis Sliwa (a Republican) is not going to become the next mayor no matter who the Democratic Party candidate is.

I agree with Moshe Hill that it is unfortunate that athletes who represent our country do not show the proper respect and feel that they need to make a political statement. I wish that this were the biggest problem in which our stature is being diminished abroad. 

My daughter who lives out-of-town flew into New York and stayed over for Shabbos. My married daughter also spent Shabbos with us, along with her husband and daughter. They joined my wife and me and our two daughters who live at home. It was the first time in a while that the family was all together for Shabbos.

It is going to be 1,551 years since the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash, the Holy Temple. I cannot imagine that the generation of the destruction would have had any idea that the third Temple would not have been built after so many years. There was only a seventy-year gap between the destruction of the first Temple and the construction of the second Temple.

In his book on the parshah, Rabbi Mordechai Katz explained why the Torah reading was named after Balak, the King of Moav, instead of Bilam, the prophet. Balak had one good attribute: honesty. “He made no attempt to conceal his hatred of the Israelites. At least everyone knew where he stood.” In contrast, Bilam “pretended to be a holy man and to aspire to fulfill only Hashem’s desires.” His conduct indicated otherwise.

 One week ago marked the first time that an Orthodox Jewish player was chosen in the Major League Baseball draft. There were actually two players chosen: Jacob Steinmetz, who went to HAFTR, and Elie Kligman, from Las Vegas. Steinmetz, a pitcher, was picked in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Kligman, who is looking to become a catcher, was picked in the twentieth and final round by the Washington Nationals. It is reported that Steinmetz plans to immediately go into professional ball while Kligman will go to college.