Kikar is reporting that Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein was asked about faking a donation on Purim.

The question asked was regarding people who come on Purim and request donations, but they do so in a very unpleasant way and keep adding pressure on the potential donor to give more and to increase his donation. The donor asked that he had already given a nice donation but they would not leave him alone and were pestering him to give more.

When he could not take it any longer, he took out his checkbook and wrote fake checks that would not be honored by the bank when deposited, as he scribbled the signature differently than his own normal signature. Not realizing the check would not be honored, the collectors left happy with their windfall. The donor now feels bad about what he did and wants to know if it was ok or if he needs to at least pay the fee for trying to deposit a bad check - money he is causing them to lose, or if he would have to possibly even pay them more than that for the donation he sort of gave them but did not honor.

Rav Zilbershtein responded with a psak that a donor could do what he needs to do to get out of giving more than he is capable or willing to donate - even if it takes some deceit. If the collectors act improperly and pressure the donor to give money he is not obligated to give, the donor can also act with some deceit to get rid of them.

דווקא יש משהו סמלי בללכת נגד הסכם אוסלו ולהחיל ריבונות בעזרת עריקה של 2 ח"כים מהשמאל בתמורה לתפקיד שר ורכב מפואר יותר. זאת תהיה סגירת מעגל יפה

— יהונתן גוטליב Yonatan Gottlieb (@yonatanGottlieb) March 3, 2020

Translation:
It is especially symbolic to now go against the Oslo Agreement and to impose sovereignty with the assistance of 2 MKs from the Left in exchange for a Ministerial position and a luxury car. This would be a nice closing of the circle.

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat decried the results of the Israeli elections saying that Israelis chose settlement, annexation and apartheid and that is what won the elections.

Erekat sounds surprised, or shocked. I am not sure why - this is the path we have been on, in the opinion of the Palestinians, ever since the Arabs rejected the Partition Plan in 1947. Why would he think that for 72 years the Israelis would invade and occupy their country and then one day just suddenly reject that?

The Palestinians have been our neighbors and partners in conflict for a long time, but they still don't seem to get us.

Personally I value [Orly Levi Abuksis] greatly. Should would make an excellent Minister of Health

  -- Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, on the possibility of persuading Abuksis to bolt form the Labor=-Meretz party and go to the Likud to help them form a government, seemingly in exchange for the Health Ministry

I suspect Yaakov Litzman might be wanting to now put his stamp on a different ministry. If not, why would Katz set up possible friction between the Likud and Litzman, essentially taking away the Heath Ministry from Litzman to give it to another party? And if not, I am curious how Litzman is going to react to this, or when it becomes an official offer...

this is weird

Congratulations to all the newly elected Members of Knesset, future Prime Minister and future Ministers and Deputy Ministers. It looks, as of now (nothing is final until final numbers are released), as if PM Netanyahu might be close enough to a majority that he might be able to form a governing coalition and avoid a fourth round of elections.

May you all serve the people of Israel wisely and with integrity.

The Netanyahus, PM Benjamin and Sara, went to the Kotel last night prior to the start of the elections to offer a prayer for victory and success.

The note the Prime Minister put in the wall, though I do not know who took it out of the wall to publicize its contents, expressed his wish for bringing a good government to the Israeli people, to Eretz Yisrael and to the State of Israel. The note Sara placed in the wall expressed her wish for a Likud victory to protect the Jewish nation and the State of Israel, and for her husband's victory for the future of our children in Eretz Yisrael.



Interestingly, and in an unusual move, the two went to pray together at the Kotel, with no gender separation, both on the men's side of the Kotel. What happened to the traditional custom of the Kotel requiring gender segregation? How did Rav Rabinovitz, rav of the Kotel, allow this? hmmmm

I've been to Eilat. If what happens there is "the will of the tzaddik" I'm really living my day to day life wrong.. I think I'm moving to Eilat