Seven years ago I married off my oldest son in the month of
Tammuz. That same week my dear cousin, Harold, died of cancer. Those two events
symbolize Tammuz for me. It is full of joy and full of sorrow. Historically, it
was during Tammuz that HaShem made the miracle of the sun and moon standing
still during the battle in the valley of Ayalon, allowing Yehoshua to lead
Israel to victory against the Amorites. It was on the seventeenth of Tammuz
that Moshe broke the Ten Commandments when he descended from Mt. Sinai and saw
the people worshipping the Golden Calf. Years later, on that same day, the
enemy breached the walls of Jerusalem prior to the destruction of the second
Holy Temple. It became a fast day and the day that begins the three weeks of
serious mourning leading up to the ninth of Av, the saddest day of the year.
In recent history it was in Tammuz that the Israeli
government geared up for the demolition of Gush Katif. This year, as we enter
Tammuz, we are praying that the dreadful decree against the Ulpana Neighborhood
in Beit El will somehow be annulled.
Jewish life, like Tammuz, is full of joy and sorrow. And so
it is with my magazine. Some of my stories are joyful, others are sorrowful. It
is my hope that they touch your heartstrings and you share them with others.
This month I have made a change. Instead of posting four articles every Rosh
Chodesh I plan to post one a week. Enjoy
and remember: It IS All From HaShem.
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