Tammuz 5778 תמוז

Thursday, June 14, 2018.  The Jewish lunar month of Tammuz is named after the Babylonian god Tammuz, or Dumuzid, who descended to the underworld for half of every year.   His absence brought about heat and drought, and parched the earth; water sources dried up, and plant growth ceased. Throughout the ancient Middle East, people spent the summer mourning the death of Tammuz as part of the cycle of the seasons. Our source Jill Hammer notes that in the heat of the Middle East summer, natural devastation by drought, locust, or terrible rainstorm can threaten crops and life itself. In Biblical times, the 17^th of Tammuz marked the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by our enemies, leading to the destruction of the Temple three weeks later on the 9th of Av. These Three Weeks are a time of mourning to this day, starting with a fast on the 17^th of Tammuz.

So, we are reminded of the heavy and oppressive heat of summer, and the challenges that are before us. Here in the Great Lakes, we’re having a coolish week, but the summer light still penetrates. Our source Mindy Ribner reminds us that in the searing, bright light of the summer sun, we see the truth and the reality of every aspect of our lives. The light and the heat of the month are intense, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is up to us to use that intensity well, to see with clear vision what is, and find opportunity for growth in the truth, especially when it is not what we would like it to be.

Seeing the truth is the first step in changing the world: only upon accepting the reality of a situation can we see it objectively enough to work on it. David Brooks, in an article in the New York Times last week (June 8, 2018), noted “The confrontation with …any sin is not just a protest but a struggle. Generalship in … any struggle is seeing where the forces of progress are swelling and where the forces of reaction are marching. It is seeing opportunities as well as threats. It is being dispassionate in one’s perception of the situation and then passionate in one’s assault on it.”

Whether that truth is the challenge of a difficult relationship — the suffering of our brothers and sisters who are hungry, lonely, oppressed, or ill — or conflict between our leaders — may seeing it clearly inspire us all to action, passion and compassion, for ourselves and for our fellow beings. — Kirby