We have entered the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a month featuring many significant events throughout Jewish History.

The 1st of Tammuz is actually the anniversary of the birth date and death date of Yosef. Yosef was so great, he was awarded by Yaakov with a double portion of his inheritance (Bava Batra 123); the tribe was also split in to two, Ephraim and Menashe, two individuals who when we give blessings to our children we say they should turn out like these two individuals, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe’ (Bereishit 48:20).

It was on the 3rd of Tammuz that Joshua kept the sun still (Joshua 10:12-14) in a war that the Jews fought in defence of the ‘Givonim,’ while the Jews waged war against the Canaanite nations, Joshua kept the sun still, in order to halt the day time so that the Jews would not go in to war desecrating Shabbat.

We learn in the book of Ezekiel about his vision of the fiery chariot , this vision was seen on the 5th of Tammuz.

The 9th of Tammuz in Jewish history is not the greatest day, it is the day that the Jerusalem walls were breached, The Babylonian armies of King Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem and the city was invaded (Rosh Hashana 18b). King Ziddikiahu of Judah was captured and taken to Babylon.

The 15th of Tammuz, marks the date of the passing of the great Moroccon Rabbi, Chaim ibn Attar, also known as the Ohr Ha-Chaim, he was a great Talmudist and Kabbalist.

The 16th of Tammuz is hardly a day to celebrate; it marks the anniversary of the murder of ‘Chur.’ A righteous man who tried to stop the formation of the Golden Calf (Shemot 32:4). He was murdered in cold blood by the mixed multitude and some other Jews who were trying to worship the calf (Sanhedrin 7). We learned about this incident in Parshat Ki Tisa.

The 17th Tammuz is a very well known day in the Jewish calendar. It is the start of the ‘Three weeks,’ that Jews refrain to have simchas, holidays, this time period is a time of morning about the destruction of the Temple, this is from 17th Tammuz through to Tishah B'Av, commemorating the period between the fall of Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Temple. The Jerusalem walls were once again breached on this day.

The 17th of Tammuz is also the day that Moshe came down from the heavenly realms with the two tablets, in anguish, while witnessing the Jews dancing round the Golden Calf, he smashed and broke the tablets on the floor, in turn the broken tablets resulted in their being added forgetfulness in the world (Eruvin 54a).

It was a day later on the 18th Tammuz that the Jews destroyed the Golden Calf.

It was on the date of the 29th Tammuz that marked the death of ‘Rashi.’ Rashi is one of the main commentators of the Chumash.

The Month of Tammuz features 29 days. It was on this month that Chapters 1, 2, 5 and 6 of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) was comprised!

THis Dvar Torah is dedicated to the recovery of Shoshana Bat Helen, who has had a problem with her arm, please pray for her to make a full recovery.