The month of Tammuz—and the month of Av as well—were “taken” by Eisav when Yaakov and Eisav divided the months of the year between them (Zohar, Yisro 78:7). The months of kedushah, Tishrei, Nissan, Sivan, and more fall firmly within the domain of Yaakov, and he even later brought Elul into his spiritual sphere. Tammuz and Av, falling in the heat of the summer, are understandably under the influence of Eisav, when standards of kedushah are diminished in the world at large. This theme will play itself out in some of the other dimensions of the month.

 

 

 

The Mazel of Tammuz

 

The mazel, or celestial sign, of Tammuz is sartan—Cancer—whose symbol is a crab. The nature of the crab is that it lives near the water, though it maintains itself both on the dry land, on the sandy beaches, and within the water as well. Water is the symbol of Torah and purity, as mikveh waters bring kedushah, and are also depicted negatively, as yam hata’avah, the waters of inappropriate immersion. The two aspects of land—physicality and earthliness—and water—exalted spirituality—are two parallel yet antithetical dimensions. The crab itself has soft cartilage, or meat, inside it while it carries an externally hard outer shell.

 

 

 

 

The concept of being tocho k’baro, one’s inside should be like his outside (see Berachos 28a), reflects a consistency between one’s spiritual-emotional component and his external comportment. He is genuinely pure, inside and out. Eisav had the external presentation to his father Yitzchak of seeming righteousness, yet his innermost being was spiritually tainted. Eisav is compared to the chazir—showing its split hooves, one sign of kashrus—while it’s the epitome of treif. These two contradictory dimensions are found in the crab, the sign of Tammuz, in the month of Eisav.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shevet of Tammuz—Reuven

 

When Reuven was born to Leah, he was given that name because Hashem saw that she was snu’ah, unloved by Yaakov. Another interpretation in Rashi is that she said, “Reu ben, see (the difference) between my son, Reuven, and Eisav” (Bereishis 29:32) regarding the right to the bechorah. Shimon was so named because Hashem heard her anguish. Because of the extreme heat of the summer, challenges to shemiras einayim, guarding one’s eyes is particularly important. The word for seeing is re’iah, the same letters as yir’ah, fear (of Hashem). What a person sees—or doesn’t—and how he trains his sight to see the good or negativity of others is reflected in the way he uses his eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

Historically, the entire month of Tammuz was spent by the meraglim to see what Eretz Canaan was all about; whether it was to be conquered by Bnei Yisrael or not. The question is raised: Why is the parshah of tzitzis found at the end of Parshas Shelach, after that of the meraglim? Yehoshua and Calev saw Eretz Canaan, which would become Eretz Yisrael, and it was a land flowing with milk and honey, and it was tovah me’od me’od. The other meraglim saw the exact same land and produce, yet they saw eretz ocheles yoshveha, a land that consumes its inhabitants. At the end of the parshah we’re told u’re’isem osam, you’ll see the tzitzis and you’ll remember all 613 mitzvos of Hashem. If you look at the tzitzis with the proper perspective, you see the oceans, the skies, the Kisei Hakavod itself! If you’re missing the vision Hashem wants us to have then you only see eight strings. The meraglim saw Eretz Canaan with a negative, jaundiced look—and it had powerful historic implications (Mikdash Dovid).

 

 

 

 

 

The Letter of Tammuz

According to Sefer Yetzirah, the letter of Tammuz is ches. The form of the letter is enclosed on three sides, but open at the bottom. If one is vigilant, he can protect himself from outside influences and remain fortified in his kedushah. Heaven forbid, if one isn’t careful—particularly during the month of Tammuz—he can descend into a spiritual abyss. He will not have the benefit of returning like the ba’al teshuvah, in the side of the letter hei, with which this world was created. (See Rashi to Bereishis 2:4.)

 

 

 

 

 

The Significant Dates in Tammuz

Unfortunately, there are no Yamim Tovim during the month, only the beginning of the Three Weeks, the period of Bain Hametzarim. The Gemara in Taanis 28b lists five tragic events that occurred to our people on the 17^th of Tammuz; 1) the Luchos were broken by Moshe Rabbeinu when he saw Bnei Yisrael dancing around the eigel hazahav, 2) the korban tamid was discontinued, 3) the walls of Yerushalayim were breached by the Babylonians before the destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash, 4) Apostumos, a Greek general burned the Sefer Torah in the Azarah, 5) an idol was placed in the Heichal by Menashe (according to Rashi, ibid.).

 

 

The exultation of Pesach, Shavuos, and Mattan Torah seem to fade before the tragic calamities of Tammuz and Av. The pasuk in Eichah tells us that all those who chase her (Klal Yisrael) reached her bein hametzarim, a reference to the Three Weeks between Shivah Asar B’Tammuz and Tishah B’Av. It’s also a reference to being able to find the Shechinah, for those who seek It during this time, Hashem, as it were, is in the field (Avodas Yisroel, Koznitzer Maggid, Pirkei Avos 2:14). If we feel the pain of the Shechinah in galus, then we can transform these days into days of connection to Hashem.

 

 

 

 

The Maharsha in Bechoros 8a equates the 21 days of Bein Hametzarim with the 21 days between Rosh Hashanah and Hoshana Rabbah. The days of Bein Hametzarim are painful, but they offer us an opportunity, as do the Days of Awe and Joy, to come close to and connect with Hashem. If our eyes are guarded during the days of Tammuz and Av, if they shed tears for the destruction that has befallen our nation and the Shechinah, Who’s in galus, then we will one day merit v’sechezenah einainu b’shuvecha l’Tzion—our eyes will behold Hashem’s return to Yerushalayim

b’meheirah.