PM Netanyahu has yet to resolve the crisis in government regarding the budget bill and the draft law proposed by the Haredi parties.

We are at the point where MKs Gafni and [Deputy Minister] Litzman are again today threatening to dissolve the government over this and go to elections.

Litzman bought UTJ some credibility when he recently resigned over the issue of the working on the train lines on Shabbos. If Netanyahu, or Kahlon or Lieberman or other LIkud people, wants to avoid elections, he won't try to call Litzman's bluff, because now everyone knows Litzman is willing to go all the way. His poker face got much better after that issue.

That being said, Netanyahu sees the most recent polls and the recent trends in the polls that show him and the Likud just increasing in size and might very well see this as an opportune time to call elections. Not from the perspective of calling Litzman's bluff, but from the perspective of benefitting himself and the Likud. He also might not take the other threats very well, heard from both Gafni and Litzman, about anybody being able to form a coalition and possibly joining with Avi Gabay after any such elections. Netanyahu has liked the loyalty of the Haredi parties until now that backed him completely. For them to suddenly be talking about supporting Gabbay instead must be infuriating to netanyahu.

Jerusalem residents -
You definitely identify with the situation, you get on the light rail and because of the pressure you don't pass your card over the payment machine, or you notice someone else who doesnt and gets a fine because of it just because he wasnt paying attention..
Generally luck brings the supervisors exactly at that moment.
One day I got on the light rail and somebody paid for me when I noticed my card was empty, and he saved me from an unnecessary fine.
That is why I started my independent campaign, a bit over a year ago.
Pay it forward.
I bought ten rav kav cards at one time and filled each one with 5.90nis, enough for one light rail ride - just enough to save a passenger without a ticket because just then his card finished and a supervisor got on to give out fines.
When I see such a situation I take a card out of my wallet, pay, and give it to him requesting only that he fill it up later with one ride's worth of money and pass it on to others in such situations.
Another mitzva, and another mitzva
In the past year I have received form friends and family many such cards.Today I gave out my last one (#100!) to a young man who had not paid attention that his card was empty, and then I bought myself 3 more new ones.
So, if you get such a card, I request, pay it forward.
Not for any reason other than to do a kindness between people person on the train.
Thanks\
Shai

MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and some activists went to protest and have a press conference at the Tel Aviv train station against the draft law the Haredi parties are trying to push through.

The following photograph from the event has sent the Haredi internet into a tizzy:



Everyone was trying to figure out who Lapid's Haredi activist is. It turns out, after some research was done, that this is not a Haredi person an activist of Yesh Atid that dressed up as Haredi just for the imagery. Yesh Atid had to release a clarification that the activist dressed up as a Haredi as an act of protest against the draft bill, and he did so on his own accord. Yesh Atid is looking pretty silly.

I just don't get what he was thinking. Does he not know how the internet works? For someone who is supposed to be such a social media maven, this was really a fashla

I spent part of Friday, and Shabbos, in Jerusalem. Jerusalem celebrates Purim on Shusan Purim, which was Friday. I had forgotten about it, but that means Purim going right into Shabbos ends up meaning a lot of drunk people going into Shabbos might end up in shul Friday night possibly leading to a very interesting experience.

Normally, the shul we daven in when in Jerusalem is a very European shul, semi-hassidic, with strict decorum and a very serious membership. It is also always very tight with many guests and yeshiva bochurim.

It struck me that we were in for an experience even before I got to shul. As I was leaving to shul I saw some hassidim still in costume heading out to shul, some walking crooked, clearly inebriated, some carrying cups or even bottles of wine, etc. I then realized that Purim leading into Shabbos was going to be interesting,

We get to shul and it isnt quite full yet, and seats are available, which is unusual in and of itself. There are a few people with Purim hats and some people looking a bit disheveled, but overall most people were Shabbosdik and seemed ok. Shortly after, the action began. Some drunk people came in, people were coming and going, it seemed like every few minutes some more drunks came, and things got very lively.

The davening was raucous and wild, with many drunk or high people standing by the aron kodesh and dancing and jumping and screaming and leading services. Along with that,m many were also on the bima doing the same. Essentially, there were many drunk chazzanim all at the same time, some with tallis, some without, most with wine bottles. This normally very stodgy minyan that does not really sing much was doing the entire kabbalas shabbos davening wildly to the Carlebach tunes. We thought the bima would collapse at some point, there were so many people on it and they were jumping and dancing.

Davening was wild. I was surprised that the gabbaim or leadership let it happen, but they were ok with it. I guess they expected it and consider it part of the routine because of Purim.

Some observations and thoughts:
1. on the one hand it felt really bad, like serious "bizui bet knesset" - degrading to the sanctity of the shul. I know some shuls say that drunks should not come in order to not mistreat the sanctity of the shul. It really felt wrong.
2. On the other hand, it is nice to see people enjoying themselves and happy, especially in the the framework of a mitzva and celebrating the holiday. And they were not out drunk stealing things, beating people up, and the like, just a wild davening.
3. most of the people drunk and out of control were young - guys in their early 20s or so, it seemed. The older adults were either not drunk or at least in control of themselves. Is getting drunk on Purim something largely done by young yeshiva guys but older adults do it less, make do with just drinking a bit more than usual? Do they get drunk too but stay home form shul? Do they get drunk but not to the point of losing control?
4. The drunken davening was all good and fun but that is only as long as it doesnt get violent. I saw two instances where a drunk was borderline violent - I did not see exactly what he did - and in both instances people from the shul physically threw the drunkards out of shul. The rest they let continue undisturbed.

It was all very good aand a nice discussion, with both the Litvishe and Hassidishe approaches being presented. My only comment would be for the last speaker - there is no need to make thigns up. Just present your approach based on your mesorah with your poskim and your kabalistic reasons. No need to talk about what is considered dignified or chashuv, as that turns it very subjective, basically as asked by the host. I kind of felt bad for him when he said how it used to be dignified people had beards, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Considering how beards then were considered not respectable and no president had a beard until Abraham Lincoln, and since Taft no president has had any facial hair, and internationally as well most world leaders do not sport facial hair, it almost proved that the point he was making was false.