Rosh Chodesh Tamuz

It's Rosh Chodesh Tamuz. 

It's been a very long and incredibly challenging two weeks and we wanted to be greeted by Mashiach, or at least something else amazingly happy and joy-filling. We want a Purim, a Chanukah, a yom tov of singing and dancing. We're a bit caught off guard to be greeting Rosh Chodesh Tamuz, the three weeks, the nine days. We're drained at a very deep level.

So, let's look at a deeper message of Tamuz. Each of the twelve months correspond to each of the twelve shevatim. Reuven is associated with Tamuz. The name Reuven can be read as - Re'u - see, bein - between. See the in-between. Learn to read between the lines, see what's underneath the surface. There is darkness in this world - look between the cracks and find the light within. Look at the suffering and see the kindness with. Look at the dark and search for the light. Look at the tears and see the cleansing they offer. 

The Sefer Yechzkel was written after the first churban, at a very dark time for Klal Yisrael. They were chained, devastated and forced to march to Bavel. And there, on the fifth day of Tamuz, there in the darkness, Yechezkel Hanavi had the greatest vision of Malchus Shomayim that was ever recorded in history. The Medrash Rabba (Vayikra 31:8) says "this is because our (deeper) vision comes not from the white of the eye, but rather from the black (pupil)." The greater the darkness, the sharper the light. Only through the hardship and pain of the exile was Yechezkel able to see a vision so great.

Appropriately, Yam Hamelach is near the shevet of Reuven. Because Reuven was able to see what comes through hardship and (salty) tears.

So, Chodesh Tamuz is here. Time to see the light in the darkness. The miracles between the suffering, the joy in the regular life. We may not be partying, but we can read between the lines of daily life and find the party within.

And finally, it is obvious to us all, that if we read between the lines of our galus, we can see the geulah happening quicker and quicker.

Wishing you a meaningful and joyful month,

Yocheved

P.S. To my friends in EY: 

Those living in Eretz Yisrael need to make a serious commitment to themselves for some sort of vacation. It can be a trip to the yam with some friends, it can be a weekend away, it can be big, it can be small. But the way we went from crises and super high stress level in our body to normal life was much too quick and we need to give our body the physical attention it needs to calm down. I personally think the whole country should be given free therapy and a free vacation. But being that we're not, you need to give it to yourself. Your system really needs it. ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם  means this as much as the mamad. 

Or you can just take a bus to Yam Hamelach one early morning..... 

P.P.S. Keep posted for our Shiva Asar B'Tamuz class and other interesting things coming up this month.