This week we welcomed in the month of Tammuz. To be honest, Tammuz is relatively nondescript. There’s a minor fast day in the middle of the month (the 17th of Tammuz), but besides that, it doesn’t have many distinct features. I think that’s exactly part of its purpose.
The month of Tammuz is the beginning of summer; every year Tammuz holds the solar eclipse. That means that every year, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz happens as the year is winding down. Our tradition doesn’t just view months as stand-alone 4-week periods, it’s all part of a calendrical cycle, a narrative into which the the tradition invites us. And Tammuz tells an important part of the story. As much as the High Holy Days seem far away, Tammuz marks the very beginning of the emotional, spiritual, and mental process that is meant to happen leading up to the High Holy Days. The solar eclipse and Tammuz remind us that the year is in its final stage. For anything that we wanted to happen this year, now is the time. For any changes that we want to start thinking about for next year, now is the time.
The long days and down time of the summer offer us the quiet and openness to embrace the individual work and growth that we each seek. As someone in our Rosh Chodesh group put it last night, we’re entering the fourth quarter. This is our last effort to change the score of 5778, and to think about our game strategy for 5779. As we each do that work on a personal and communal level, I look forward to being a part of the process with you.
Wishing you all a reflective summer. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
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