Tammuz: A Month of Heat, Heartbreak, and Hope

Tammuz, the fourth month of the year on the Torah calendar (that begins with the Exodus from Egypt) and the tenth from the calendar that counts the months from Creation, may not appear by name in the Hebrew Bible, but its impact on Jewish history and consciousness is profound.

The name "Tammuz" originates from the Akkadian word "tammuzi" and the Sumerian word "dumu-zid." Rashi and the Malbim explain that "Tammuz" is also an Aramaic term linked to heat, which corresponds to the sweltering summer season of Tammuz.  It is no coincidence that the ancient agricultural calendar discovered at Gezer refers to this period as "Yerach Zimrah," the month of the grape harvest, a time of sun-scorched fields and ripened fruit.

A Name with a Dark Shadow

Strikingly, Tammuz is also the name of a Mesopotamian deity. This idol was associated with a unique and unsettling ritual: he was worshipped by burning, and his metallic eyes would appear to melt in the intense heat, mimicking tears. Women would weep for his supposed death during this month, a practice that the prophet Yechezkel harshly condemned: “Behold, there sat women weeping for the Tammuz… and He said to me: You will see greater abominations than these” (Yechezkel 8:14-15). 

Tammuz always has 29 days and is a time of sadness and mourning in Jewish tradition. On the 17th of Tammuz, the walls of Jerusalem were breached before the destruction of the Second Temple. This day begins the somber period of "Bein Hameitzarim," the three weeks of mourning that culminate in Tisha B’Av, the day when both Temples were destroyed.

Five Tragedies, One Warning

On the 17th of Tammuz, five calamities befell the Jewish people:

1. Moshe broke the luchot (tablets) upon seeing the sin of the Golden Calf.
2. The daily Tamid offering was indefinitely suspended during the siege of Jerusalem.
3. The walls of Jerusalem were breached.
4. Apostomus burned a Torah scroll.
5. An idol was placed in the Temple.

These events, spanning from the wilderness era to the Roman conquest, form a tragic thread that twists through the fabric of the month.

The Zodiac Sign

The mazal (zodiac sign) of Tammuz is sartan, the crab. It reflects both the celestial constellation visible in the sky in addition to deeper symbolism. Crabs reproduce in the summer, and they become more active and thirsty as the heat intensifies. The zodiac sign is also symbolic of the idol of Tammuz that infiltrated the Jewish people slowly and eventually contributed to the destruction of the First Temple.

In the month of Tammuz, the leaves begin to wither and dry out in the intense summer sun. This month arrives after the spring harvest, and in Tammuz watermelon and other summer fruits are abundant.

Zodiac Cancer

Tammuz in Hassidism: Turning Heat into Light

From a mystical lens, Tammuz is not only about mourning. It is a call to transform. As the Three Weeks begin and we recall the destruction of the Temple and the onset of nearly 2,000 years of exile, we are also meant to actively participate in the restoration and rehabilitation process. 

Chazal describe the final stages of exile - the Ikveta d’Meshicha -as a time of grave spiritual descent, a darkness so profound it mirrors our current generation. But they told us this not to cause despair but to anchor our hope. Knowing how low things can go helps us appreciate how close we might be to the end of exile and the beginning of true redemption.

Hasidic teachings emphasize that in order to bring about redemption, we must do more than avoid sin. We must correct its root. The Rambam writes that to uproot a bad trait, a person must veer to the opposite extreme. If sinat chinam (baseless hatred) brought destruction, then ahavat chinam (baseless, boundless love) will enable us to rebuild.

Loving another Jew even when there’s no obvious reason to, even when they seem distant from mitzvot or Jewish values, becomes a core act of redemption. This is not just a moral teaching but a spiritual tool with immense power.