Avoid Kiddush Friday night at seventh hour

Rav's Shulchan Aruch (OC #271)  There are some who are careful not to make kiddush the first hour of the night (the seventh hour from noon) but either before night or an hour after in the night. That is because at the seventh hour the celestial force of Mars is dominate which represents Sammel (the force of Evil)  It has already been explained that it is always best to make kiddush immediately when returning home from the synagogue and this is typically while it is still day. 

Magen Avraham (OC #271:1) It says in Tekunei Shabbos that one should make kiddush before it is night because at the beginning of Friday night the Mazel of Mars dominates and at the end of Friday Saturn dominates Therefore it is best to make Kiddush when Saturn dominates. The Maharil says the same thing. He also says that if the person doesn’t want to eat then, he can wait to say Kiddush since he already has said kiddush in the prayers at the synagogue. This is satisfactory since the requirement to have a meal with Kidush is a rabbinic requirement and thus he has fulfilled his Torah obligation with his prayers. 

Aruch Ha Shulchan (271:11) I have seen someone (Magen Avraham) who wrote “that a person should be careful to always say kiddush before night since at the beginning of Shabbos night the mazzel of  Mars is dominate while at the end of Friday Saturn is dominate. It is best to make kiddush under the mazzel of Saturn.” In my humble opinion this view is astounding because G-d forbid to say we are under the influence of mazzel. In fact the opposite is true! I saw that in fact the ancients of the non Jews used to sit in darkness in their homes on Shabbos and cry because of the bad mazzel of Shabbos and their fear of being harmed. In contrast G-d commanded us the opposite. We are to light a lot of candles to make light and we are to enjoy ourselves on Shabbos. This is to show that we transcend the force of mazzel and that we have been chosen by G-d to be uninfluenced by mazzel. So how can the Magen Avraham say this? This requires great study. One who trusts in G-d is surrounded by kindness. 

Rav's Shulchan Aruch (O 271) יֵשׁ נִזְהָרִים שֶׁלֹּא לְקַדֵּשׁ בְּשָׁעָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל הַלַּיְלָה (דְּהַיְנוּ שָׁעָה שְׁבִיעִית אַחַר חֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם, עַיֵּן סִמָּן תכ"ח), אֶלָּא אוֹ קֹדֶם הַלַּיְלָה, אוֹ לְאַחַר שָׁעָה תּוֹךְ הַלַּיְלָה, לְפִי שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הוּא מַזָּל מַאְדִּים, וְסמא"ל מוֹשֵׁל עָלָיו. 

וּכְבָר נִתְבָּאֵר שֶׁלְּכַתְחִלָּה יֵשׁ לוֹ לְקַדֵּשׁ מִיָּד בְּבוֹאוֹ מִבֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם:

Magen Avraham (OC #271:1)לאכול מיד. היינו לקדש כדי שיזכור שבת בכניסתו ועסי' רע"ג ס"ג, וכתוב בתקוני שבת שיקדש קודם לילה כי בתחלת ליל שבת הוא מזל מאדים ובסוף יום ו' הוא מזל צדק לכן יקדש בצדק וכ"כ בתשובות מהרי"ל סי' קס"ג ומ"ע בתשוב' כתב שאם אינו תאב לאכול יכול להמתין שכבר זכר אותו בכניסתו בבה"כ ע"ש, ובירושלמי ריש ברכות אי' שדרך לאכול שעה או ב' בלילה וכ"מ ברש"י ריש דף ג', כ' הרמב"ם פכ"ט קידוש היום דאורייתא בלא יין ורבנן תקנו על היין וכ"כ התוס' בסוכה פ"ג דף ל"ח ונ"ל דמדאוריי' בקידוש שאמר בתפל' סגי דקרא כתיב זכור את יום השבת והרי זכר אותו וקידוש במקום סעוד' רבנן תקנוהו כמ"ש סי' רס"ט וכ"מ בתוס' שכתבו דלר"ת מי שאין לו יין לא יקדש כלל וק' וכי יעקור מ"ע דאורייתא אלא ע"כ דדי בתפלה ועוד דאמרי' בקדושה אף על גב דמקדש בצלותא וכו' ע' בברכות פ"ה וגם הבדלה י"א דאורייתא היא וכמ"ש המ"מ פכ"ט ואפ"ה אמרי' בגמ' דבתחלה קבעוהו בתפלה כו' ע"ש וכ"מ ל' הרמב"ם וכ"מ בתוס' פ' ע"פ בשם הירוש' ע"ש: ודע דהקידוש בי"ט הוא דרבנן כמ"ש המ"מ פכ"ט מ"מ יש לו כל דין קידוש של שבת ואם אין לו אלא כוס א' של שבת קודם:

Aruch Ha Shulchan (271:11)  להמתין איזה שעות בלילה. (מ"ע בתשובות)וראיתי מי שכתב שיקדש דווקא קודם לילה, כי בתחלת ליל שבת הוא מזל מאדים, ובסוף יום ו' הוא מזל צדק - לכן יקדש בצדק. (מג"א שם) ולעניות דעתי הוא תמוה, דחס ושלום לומר שאנחנו תחת המזלות, ואדרבא ראיתי בקדמונים שהאומות הקדמונים היו יושבים בשבת בחשך ובוכים, מפני שהמזלות של שבת מורים לרעה. והקב"ה צוה אותנו להיפך, להדליק הרבה אור ולהתענג עצמינו, להראות שאנו למעלה מהמזלות. ואותנו לקח ד' להוציאנו ממערכת השמים, ואיך נאמר כזה וצע"ג, והבוטח בד' חסד יסובבנו. (המג"א שם הביא ירושלמי ריש ברכות שדרך לאכול שעה או שתים בלילה ע"ש, אמנם ע"ש בפירוש חרידים דשתים הוא שתי חלקי שעה, ומטעם דבתי כנסיות היו בשדות רחוק מהעיר, ועד שיבואו נמשך הזמן ממילא, ואדרבא מדתירץ שם באילין כופרנייא ע"ש - משמע דמצוה לאכול מקודם ודו"ק)

Merit for redemption: Jewish names in Egypt

From some sources  it seems that the Jews were  equivalent to the Egyptians at the Splitting of the Sea yet some medrashim list various unique merits that the Jews had.

Shemos Rabbah (21:7) When Israel departed from Egypt, the Angel Samael arose to accuse them, pleading before God: ' Lord of the Universe! Till now they have been worshipping idols, and now Thou dividest the sea for them?

Zohar (2:170b) When the Israelites stood on the shore of the Red Sea and G-d was about to divide its waters for them, Rahab, the angel-prince of Egypt, appeared, and demanded justice from G-d. He stood before Him and said: “Lord of the world, why dost thou desire to punish Egypt and to divide the Red Sea for Israel? Have not all sinned against Thee? Thy ways are according to justice and truth. Those are idolaters and so are these.

Bamidbar Rabbah (3:6)) By whose merit did Israel go forth out of Egypt? R. Halpai said: By the merit of Jacob. Our Rabbis say: They were redeemed because of the merit of the women, the pious  mothers.It was on account of the merit of the pious among them that they came out. 

Bamidbar Rabbah (13:20) By virtue of three things they were redeemed 1)They did not change their names,2) they did not change their language, and 3) they fenced themselves off against unchastity

Bamidbar Rabbah (20:22) Israel were redeemed from Egypt by reason of the merit of four acts. They did not change their names, they did not change their language, they did not disclose their secrets

Devarim Rabba (2:23) Israel were redeemed from Egypt only because of the following five reasons: (1) Distress, (2) Repentance, (3) The Merits of the Fathers, (4) God's Mercy, (5) The Term of their slavery, which had come to an end.

Mechilta (Beshalach 6] Jews were only redeemed from Egypt because of their faith

Medrash Tehilim (114:4) The Jews were redeemed from Egypt on the merit of four things 1)They didn’t change their names 2) They didn’t change thei language 3(They didn’t reveal their secrets 4) They weren’t involved in sexual sins.

Shemos Rabbah (1:28) Israel was redeemed from Egypt on account of four things, one being because they did not change their names. 2) they were not suspected of adultery.

Shemos Rabbah (17:3) On account of two kinds of blood were Israel redeemed from Egypt-the blood of the Passover and the blood of circumcision,

Midrash Lekach Tov (Shemos 6:6) There were four merits the Jews had that correspond to the four terms of redemption in the Torah. 1) they did not change their language 2) they did not change their clothing 3) they did not reveal secrets 4) they did not stop mila

Shir HaShirim Rabbah (IV 12)  In the merit of four things were the Jews redeemed from Egypt 1) They did not change their names 2) they did not change thei language 3) They did not speak lashon harah 4) No one was involved in sexual sins

Sotah (11b) In the merit of the righteous women that were in that generation, the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt. At the time when these women would go to draw water, G-d would materialize for them small fish that would enter into their pitchers, and they would draw pitchers that were half filled with water and half filled with fish. And they would come and place two pots on the fire, one of hot water for washing their husbands and one of fish with which to feed them.

Tanchuma (25:1) The Jews were redeemed from Egypt on the meruit of four things 1)They didn’t change their names 2) They didn’t change thei language 3(They didn’t reveal their secrets 4) They weren’t involved in sexual sins.

Yalkut Shimoni (#657) The Jews were redeemed from Egypt on the merit of four things1)They didn’t change their names 2) They didn’t change thei language 3) They didn’t speak lashon harah 4) They weren’t involved in sexual sins.

Vayikra Rabbah (Emor 32:5) Israel were redeemed from Egypt on account of four things, viz. because they did not change their names, they did not change their language, they did not go tale-bearing, and none of them was found to have been immoral.

Yerushalmi (Tanis I 63a) Israel were redeemed from Egypt for five reasons. Because  1) the time of Exile was finished 2) suffering tribulation 3) because of their cries for help, 4)merit of the Fathers, 5) because of repentance.

Don't rely on segulos

 

‘Psyop’: How Far-Right Conspiracy Theories About the Minnesota Shooting Evolved to Protect MAGA

 https://www.wired.com/story/psyop-far-right-conspiracy-theories-minnesota-shooting/

In the hours after Vance Boelter was named as the suspect in the fatal shooting of Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Minnesota state representative, and her husband Mark Hortman, far-right conspiracists and Republican influencers claimed he was a violent, leftist Democrat.

When the facts of the story emerged—that the alleged shooter had been registered in other states as a Republican, was said to have voted for President Donald Trump and, as WIRED reported, had participated in an evangelical ministry where he preached against abortion and demonized the LGTBQ community—the conspiracy theories didn’t stop. Instead, they just changed. Posters then claimed the incident was a false flag conducted by the shadowy deep state, while trying to distance the shooter from any connection to the president and the wider MAGA movement.

A Battered Iran Signals It Wants to De-Escalate Hostilities With Israel and Negotiate

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/a-battered-iran-signals-it-wants-to-de-escalate-hostilities-with-israel-and-negotiate-9feab4ae?mod=hp_lead_pos1

Iran has been urgently signaling that it seeks an end to hostilities and resumption of talks over its nuclear programs, sending messages to Israel and the U.S. via Arab intermediaries, Middle Eastern and European officials said.

In the midst of a ferocious Israeli air campaign, Tehran has told Arab officials it would be open to returning to the negotiating table as long as the U.S. doesn’t join the attack, the officials said. Iran also passed messages to Israel saying it is in the interest of both sides to keep the violence contained.

‘Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients

Doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals nationwide could refuse to treat unmarried veterans and Democrats under new hospital guidelines imposed following an executive order by Donald Trump.

The new rules, obtained by the Guardian, also apply to psychologists, dentists and a host of other occupations. They have already gone into effect in at least some VA medical centers.

Medical staff are still required to treat veterans regardless of race, color, religion and sex, and all veterans remain entitled to treatment. But individual workers are now free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not explicitly prohibited by federal law.

Language requiring healthcare professionals to care for veterans regardless of their politics and marital status has been explicitly eliminated.

China ‘condemns’ Israel as it looks to show itself as a potential peace broker

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/16/china/china-role-israel-iran-attack-intl-hnk

For one, as the Trump administration’s “America First” policy has shaken up the US’ traditional position on the international stage, Beijing sees an opportunity to further expand its clout. That’s especially true in the context of countries across the Global South, where Israel has received stark condemnation over its ongoing assault on Gaza.

Beijing is also a key diplomatic and economic backer of Iran and has moved to further deepen collaboration in recent years, including holding joint naval drills, even as it’s sought to balance those ties with its growing relations with countries like Saudi Arabia. Chinese officials long voiced opposition to US sanctions on Iran and criticized the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, while accusing Washington of being a source of instability and tensions in the region.

Do voter identification laws suppress minority voting? Yes.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/15/do-voter-identification-laws-suppress-minority-voting-yes-we-did-the-research/

There is, of course, widespread debate about the merits of these new laws. Proponents claim that ID laws are necessary to reduce fraud and to restore trust in the democratic system. Critics claim that voter ID laws serve as effective barriers that limit the legitimate participation of racial and ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups.

Who is right? Scholars have been able to show that racial and ethnic minorities have less access to photo IDs, and extensive analysis reveals almost no evidence of voter fraud of the type ostensibly prevented by these laws. But determining just how many Americans are prevented from actually voting is another question altogether. The key question is not whether there could be worrisome effects from these laws, but whether clear-cut shifts in electoral participation and outcomes have actually occurred. Do voter identification laws skew the electorate in favor of one set of interests over others?

These laws have a disproportionate effect on minorities, which is exactly what you would expect given that members of racial and ethnic minorities are less apt to have valid photo ID.

Israel Police International Spokesman: Iranian regime deliberately targeting civilians

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410102

Dean Elsdunne, International Spokesman for the Israel Police, spoke to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News in Petah Tikva, where an Iranian missile slammed into a residential building in Petah Tikva in the early hours of Monday morning, causing dozens of casualties and four fatalities.

Over the past several days, Israeli police forces have responded swiftly and decisively to multiple impact sites across the country. One such strike resulted in a direct hit on a residential building, leading to the deaths of eight individuals and injuring many others.

“This is part of the ongoing pattern we have witnessed from the Iranian regime—once again revealing its true face by deliberately targeting our civilians, as has been the case at other impact sites from this latest barrage,” Elsdunne stated.

IDF Home Front Command extends ban on gatherings; schools and workplaces to remain closed

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-home-front-command-extends-ban-on-gatherings-schools-and-workplaces-to-remain-closed/

Following a fresh assessment, the IDF Home Front Command says there are no changes to guidelines for civilians amid the conflict with Iran.

All gatherings are prohibited, and schools will not open. Workplaces are also closed, apart from those deemed critical.

The guidelines remain in effect until Tuesday night, when the Home Front Command will conduct another assessment.

Donald Trump Tells ICE Agents To Target Democratic Strongholds

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tells-ice-agents-target-democrat-strongholds-2085878

Trump wrote on Truth Social that ICE "must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside."

He added: "These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens. These Radical Left Democrats are sick of mind, hate our Country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities — And they are doing a good job of it!

"I want our Brave ICE Officers to know that REAL Americans are cheering you on every day. The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos. That's why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia."

It comes after Trump's administration provided immigration officials with the personal data of millions of Medicaid recipients last week, including their immigration status, the Associated Press reported, citing an internal memo and email.

‘Just like I got India, Pakistan...’: Donald Trump pitches for ‘peacemaker’ deal between Israel, Iran

https://www.businesstoday.in/world/middle-east/story/just-like-i-got-india-pakistan-donald-trump-pitches-for-peacemaker-deal-between-israel-iran-480468-2025-06-15

 In his statement, Trump wrote, “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!”

He referenced multiple geopolitical disputes during his presidency, including tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and the Nile dam dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia. “Serbia and Kosovo were going at it hot and heavy... and this long time conflict was ready to break out into WAR. I stopped it... Another case is Egypt and Ethiopia, and their fight over a massive dam... There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way!”

Trump also suggested his efforts often go unacknowledged. “Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!”

However, India has rejected Trump’s assertion that US trade incentives played a role in its February ceasefire agreement with Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that the agreement followed direct talks between the militaries’ Directors General of Military Operations.

Why Is Trump Taking Credit For What He Opposed?

Trump scrambles to claim credit for Israel’s Iran attack he publicly opposed

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/13/trump-iran-israel-attacks-response

Donald Trump is walking a tightrope as he claims that he was fully aware of Israel’s plans to launch massive airstrikes against Iran while continuing to distance the US from those strikes and deny Washington took any active role in the preparations.

The White House’s messaging has shifted quickly from Marco Rubio’s arms-length description of the Israeli attack as a “unilateral action”, to Trump claiming on Friday morning that he was fully in the loop on the operation and that it came at the end of a 60-day ultimatum he had given Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear programme.