Tamuz - the Month of Hidden Light

The word tammuz in Aramaic means to heat up. This is the first hot month of the summer. Also, in spiritual terms, things get a little hot this month. Some of the worst tragedies in Jewish history have happened during Tammuz, such as the sin of the golden calf and the subsequent breaking of the first tablets, the mission of the spies who gave a bad report about the land of Israel in Moses' time, the beginning of the destruction of the Temple, etc. This time period is ripe for negativity and challenges. An indication of this fact is that the seventeenth day of Tammuz is singled out as a fast day. That solemn day begins a three week period of mourning for the destruction of the two Temples of Jerusalem and ends with the ninth of Av (next month).

The Hebrew letter associated with this month is "Ches," the eighth letter of the alef-bet. The word Ches is very similar to the word "Chet" which means transgression. There's an unusual danger of transgression at this time.

"That's why Jacob was chosen to represent G-d's chosen nation and not Abraham or Isaac."

The kabalists have a rule: the manner in which any word or letter appears for the first time in the Torah tells you something important about that word of letter. Ches is first seen in the word "choshech" which means darkness. Ches also stands for the number eight which represents the metaphysical. Seven is the natural world. For example, a week has seven days. There are seven visible planets in our solar system. Eight, however, symbolizes that which is unseen and therefore has a strong connection with darkness.

Out of the twelve tribes and seven shepherds only one person has the letter ches in his name: Isaac. He is the forefather who is connected with Tammuz. Isaac's life and personality, our sages tell us, were an expression of G-d's attribute of justice in the world. The world cannot exist without it, yet with only strict justice the world would not last very long, either. That's why Jacob was chosen to represent G-d's chosen nation and not Abraham or Isaac. Jacob tempered strict justice (Isaac) with lovingkindness (Abraham) and became an expression of "Tiferet," a mixture of these two extremes.

"Maimonides says there's special guidance to those who study the oral law at night."

The twenty two day mourning period, between the seventeenth of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av actually has a positive counterpart on the calendar - the twenty two days between Rosh Hashanah and the end of Succot. Tammuz starts the days of mourning and Succot is called "the time of our joy." This parallel implies a Divine hand in our national tragedies.

The permutation of G-d's name for Tammuz is the exact opposite of the usual spelling. This also symbolizes the attribute of Justice in a very interesting way. G-d's standard four letter name is His name of mercy. To spell it backwards is to suggest the opposite of mercy, which is justice. The beauty of the symbol is that if you think about it you'll notice that it is G-d's attribute of mercy backwards. In other words, within all events that seem to only be an expression of G-d's strict justice you will find hidden His attribute of mercy.

These last two points illustrate the hidden light which is in this period of time. Last month was Sivan, the giving of the written law. Tammuz symbolizes the oral law. There's a tradition that G-d taught Moses the written law by day, and the oral law by night. Many people have the custom nowadays not to study the written law at night; Maimonides says there's special guidance to those who study the oral law at night.

Sight is the human attribute associated with Tammuz. It is the oral law which allows the Jewish people to see clearly even when enveloped in the darkness of exile. The special holiness given to us in this time period is the struggle to see the light.

Problems and difficulties are also from the Almighty. But you have to look harder to find Him. You have to think more deeply to see the blessing which is Hidden. An amazing insight is revealed in the famous section in Genesis 1:3 that starts "G-d said `Let there be light.'" The word "light" appears five times in this section, symbolizing the five books of Moses.

Through developing an emotional attachment to the words of Torah we can rectify the damage done in previous generations. In fact, all of the 613 commandments are considered advice in how to develop an emotional attachment to the one main mitzvah - "I am your G-d." You can choose any one of them to use it to connect your heart to G-d.

In conclusion, the opportunity of this lunar cycle is to look for the blessings hidden within the difficulties in your life, and to strive to develop an emotional attachment to the wisdom you learn.

Sight is very important to us. It’s one of our five senses that help us live our lives. It gives us protection from oncoming cars, pleasure from sunsets, and information from books. Yet from a spiritual point of view sight’s benefit is a bit more abstract.

When your eyes are left up to their own devices they can lead you towards physicality. Since the world we live in is an illusion, your eyes can be easily tricked and you’ll be drawn towards the desires of the heart, as it says in Numbers 15:39, “Do not turn after your heart and after your eyes.” This is a warning to be on constant guard not to let your eyes lead you in the wrong direction. After all, most people don’t put candy and Hollywood star magazines on their shopping list. The supermarket is smart and puts them on display where you have to see them, at the checkout counter. Once the “eye sees,” the “heart desires.”

On the other hand, when you turn your eyes towards spirituality they can lead you in the right direction. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and see who created these (stars).” (Isaiah 40:26) If you look at the stars, you can see G-d’s handiwork and come to know Him. When you see the beauty, the majesty, and the awesomeness of the universe you can’t help but be drawn to the Creator.

It also says in Ecclesiastes 2:14, “A wise man has eyes in his head.” Where else should they be? The idea is that when a person looks at things and thinks, he can become wise. G-d created the world in a way that leads us towards Him, if we “look” at it properly.

Tammuz, according to Kabbalah, has a strong relationship with the realm of sight. It was in this month that the Jews sinned with the golden calf while waiting for Moses who had gone up Mount Sinai (see Exodus 32). This transgression had a significant impact on the nation that continues to reverberate in our generation. The sages say that one of the causes of the desire to create an idol was a vision the nation had of Moses’ death. They were lead astray by their eyes. They should have realized it was an illusion to trick them. They also fell specifically into the trap of idolatry, which includes the desire to “see” the deity you worship. One of the reasons why people are drawn to idol worship is that it gives them a tangible god. Our definition of G-d is formless, and non-physical. A formless G-d is more difficult to relate to.

Moses broke the tablets he was carrying down from the mountain in front of the Jews to shock them. He used a visual display rather than rebuke to get their attention, as if he knew what area caused them to stray - the eyes. Although a second set of tablets was brought at a later date, the first set was holier. They represented an unattainable spiritual level for us. We want to once again be worthy to receive this higher spiritual light.

That’s what Tammuz is all about. It represents our need to grow and aspire to a height of spirituality far beyond the potential we see in front of us. We need to visualize a higher plane, and take the necessary practical steps that will lead us to our rightful place; a state of oneness with our Creator.

Be careful what you let your gaze rest on. And when you see beauty in the world, let it remind you of G-d.