The Hebrew month of Tammuz is a month of truth and peace in your commitment to G-d and a revealing of G-d’s love for you under layers of doubt and fear.
Many calamities befell the Jewish people on the 17th day of Tammuz, including the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Romans in 3760 (70 CE). The first historical calamity on this very day was the breaking of the first Tablets received by Moses on Mt. Sinai. Moses broke them after seeing the state of the children of Israel who had succumbed to doubt and fear in serving the golden calf. In Jewish tradition this day is designated as a day of returning unto G-d through prayer and fasting.
This day of calamities is destined, however, to soon become a day of great rejoicing as predicted by the prophet Zechariah.
”Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.” Zachariah 8:19
The month of Tammuz will soon transform from a month of historical fear and distrust in G-d, to a month of peace and truth between man and G-d, just as the children of Israel learned in this month about returning unto G-d, were forgiven by G-d and given a second set of Tablets never to be broken again.
How does this relate to you personally?
However your fears and doubts in G-d express themselves, know that they can be overcome and that this is the month designated for overcoming doubt and repairing false breaches in our spiritual integrity. The walls of Jerusalem are symbolic of the walls of faith around each of our authentic selves. Each of us may experience temporary breaches in our walls of faith but in this month we are learning about our awesome power to repair these breaches with G-d’s help!
Should you experience fear and doubt in yourself and in G-d, know that this is just a challenge, a stimulation to find even greater faith in spite of circumstances. When you consistently summon your “defiant human spirit”, as Dr. Victor Frankl calls it, to overcome doubt in the service of G-d, you will surely receive bountiful help from G-d to serve him in joy, gladness and cheerful feasts of abundance. As we choose to love and cherish the truth and peace of our integrity in relationship to ourselves, to others and to G-d, in spite of life’s challenges and our own spiritual setbacks, we will find this reflected in our experience of life. This is now the case because the time of redemption is near and the walls of Jerusalem are soon to be rebuilt, speedily in our times.
“They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even forever.” (Psalm 125: 1-2)
