All names of all the months in the Hebrew calendar are Babylonian. During the seventy- year exile, the Jewish people adopted the names. But of all names given, this one stands out most, because it's a name of a Babylonian deity and idol. Then why would the Sages allow a name of idolatry given to this month?
The answer is simple, as our role is not only to combat idolatry by defeating it, because idolatry is not to be cured in that way. By transforming the negative inclination that leads to idolatry into something positive. Perhaps, this was the Sages choice of the name of the false God Tammuz, and gave us the oppertunity to come up with a solution, to combat the problem that leads to idolatry.
Tammuz lives off our sense of self- pity and our tragic sense of life in this time of year. Now how do we protect ourselves against the crazy times we live in? What do we do, as we hear more en more stories that really put fear into us? We can't walke away from it, as it is everywhere around us, whether we watch the news or not, we keep on hearing it. And sometimes it takes all our time and energy during our waking hours and bothers us while we sleep.
Sometimes these things can be so overpowering, that we need to built a wall around us in order to protect us, from getting even more fear and anxiety. We can built a pwall to protect us and keep us safe. This wall is our defense, not listning 24/7 to anyones stories, limit the time on social media. It is not that we have to cut ourselves off completely of the world, but we don't need to be busy with it every day, every minute and every second. All information that we receive, from various resources, may or may not be true, as it is not also explained in the right context..
There is so many going on, really bad and evil things, that we don't see the good things that are happening anymore.
When HaShem took us out of Mitzrayim, and made us wait 50 days before giving us His commandments and the Torah. Back then we were emotionally and spiritually very sensitive, eventhough we were on all time high with our newfound freedom and the giving of the Torah. Moshe gave us 40 days to study the commandments, and we knew that he would be gone for 40 days. But a small group of people, got worried that Moshe may not return at all. The fear based on false stories and assumptions, rocked their foundation of faith and this led to idol worship of the Golden Calf, and this small group affected the whole nation in a very negative way.
That day, was the 17th of Tammuz, the day of false stories that led to panic and panic created our worse fears.This day is a tragic day in our history, the breaced walls of Jerusalem by the Romans, which led to the destruction of Beis HaMikdash.
The 17th of Tammuz is a fast day, a day of repentance and a day of reflection. A day that we could ask ourselves, what we could do to make our foundation of faith rock- solid and our trust in HaShem even stronger than ever.
Whatever comes on our path to deal with, our worries or troubles. We can always talk to HaShem, daven to HaShem and asking Him to help us, with observing the Mitzvot and showing gratitude.
Remember HaShem is always with us.