17th of Tammuz and Yosef

The 17th of Tammuz is known as the day of the breaking of the luchos (tablets), which occurred in the year 2448. It was a day that should have been the greatest celebration - the completion of the pact between Hashem and the Jewish people! Instead, it became a day of sadness throughout history, that represented the loss of our relationship with Hashem. And yet, it does represent the loss in a direct way - for we could still have come back into that relationship - through the building of the Mishkan (tabernacle), through the teshuva and prayers of the entire Jewish people.

But a year and three months later, in 2449, we lost that as well, on the day of Tisha B'av. The ninth of Av, as well, should have been a day of great celebration. We were to receive news about the beautiful land of Israel that we were about to begin to conquer. Instead of it being a day of elation, it became a day of sadness through the ill report of the spies.

It is remarkable that Tammuz is the month of Yosef's birth. Furthermore, Av is a month that Yosef is active in (as per the Maharsha in Sanhedrin 12A). How are we to understand this in light of the negative events that occurred in this month?

The essence of Yosef (and Moshiach ben Yosef, by extension) is his hidden nature. This manifests in a number of ways. The first way is that he experiences tremendous difficulties and challenges. These mask the underlying theme of his life which is growth through the challenges. That which on the surface seems like death and destruction, is shown to actually be the source of his life. His great leadership is born as a result of his great difficulties.

Tammuz and Av are the months when the sun holds its greatest sway. The days are long, and the heat is at its peak of the year. Esav and the powers of evil are represented by the sun, and thus, we can see that the very nature of reality shows that Esav has power in these months. As Rashi says on the verses that describe the birth of Yosef, Yosef is the force which balances out the evil of Esav, which was why Yakov felt he could return to where Esav was once Yosef was born. Thus, the counter-force for Esav comes into the world at the very time when Esav's power is ascendent.

Returning for a moment to the 17th of Tammuz, it was the day that the luchos were broken, but the event that was the antecedent of that was the creation of the Golden Calf. It is remarkable that Yosef is very much connected to the concept of the calf. We find that Yosef is referred to as an ox (בכור שורו הדר לו) - he is the firstborn ox. This is related to one of the four faces of the ofanim, which was the ox, after which the Jewish people modeled the Golden Calf. The question is, What is the meaning of this connection between Yosef and the Golden Calf?

There is also a strong connection between the Golden Calf and the Red Heifer. Both red and gold represent the concept of gevurah, as does the concept of the calf, or the heifer (cow). The Red Heifer is meant to atone in some way for the sin of the Golden Calf (as per Rashi). It is the antidote for the spiritual malaise that is brought about through coming into contact with the dead. Before the sin of the Golden Calf, the Jewish people had returned to the state of Adam Harishon before the sin, and thus they would have lived forever. Through the sin of the Golden Calf, death returned to the world, and thus the Red Heifer would be necessary to purify from the contamination of the dead.

Esav is an aspect of the Golden Calf - the forces of evil that bring death into the world. On a certain level, this is literal, as we find that Esav was the one who had transgressed the three cardinal sins, one of which is murder. Yosef can thus be described as an aspect of the Red Heifer - who comes as a counter-force for the death that is brought into the world through his spiritual opposite, Esav.

Most interestingly, Yosef functions in the spiritual facet of gevurah, which, as we said, is represented by the color red and the concept of the cow. This means that Yosef must use the very power of gevurah (literally - strength) - which is the tool of the side of evil - against the forces of evil. Whereas Esav and his spiritual counterparts make use of strength to destroy and bring about death, Yosef uses his strength to control his desires, and to eradicate those very forces of destruction.

On a deeper level, the concept of gevurah is about holding oneself back. This trait is what Yosef needed to use when he wanted to reveal himself to his brothers, but the time was not yet right. He also used this trait in order to forgive his brothers - by recognizing and focusing on the fact that Hashem was the One who had guided his life throughout the dark times, he was able to hold back his negative feelings for his brothers, and thereby forgive them.

In a similar way, there is a withholding of relationship that occurs on the 17th of Tammuz, and subsequently on the 9th of Av. This seeming loss of relationship is analogous to Yosef's interaction with his brothers before he reveals himself. He deals with them in a tough manner, and they perceive him as a despotic Egyptian ruler whose behavior is incomprehensible. Paralleling this, we experience our relationship with Hashem at this time as one of distance, loss and destruction. Hashem hides His face of kindness and love from us, and we are to blame! We built this idol ourselves! We brought death back into the world and we chose impatience over patience, death over life. It seems that surely Hashem is angry with us and will never forgive us!

And just as Yosef hid himself in order to accomplish a deeper resolution of the brothers' previous sin, Hashem also, lehavdil, hides Himself in order to give us an opportunity to accomplish a deeper resolution of our sin. For we have a chance to prove our fidelity to God even here in the darkest depths of distance from Him.

And just as Yosef must prove himself in the darkest depths of distance, so we are to do the same, and learn from the example that Yosef set.

And Yosef is is born into this time of darkness, which paradoxically seems like light. For the sun shines the strongest, and it beats the hottest during these summer months. Is this darkness? And the answer is, Yes! The sun represents the forces of evil, which eclipse the light of the soul, the light of Hashem. This time is a time in which Hashem's light is blocked, and the forces of physicality are strongest. And here Yosef is born, and Yosef works behind the scenes, facing the darkness head on. Teaching us how we can do the same.

It is here at this time that we are aware of Yosef working behind the scenes, ever so subtly, ever so discreetly. And we can discern this work as it develops through the process of the sod ha'ibbur, as it gives birth nine months later to the twin months of Adar - the double portion of Yosef as the firstborn ox. This is the secret process that brings about forward movement in the advent of the age of Moshiach, may it come speedily in our days.

20 Sivan, 17 Tammuz, Rosh Hashana

When it rains, it pours. Hashem keeps showing me more patterns in time, and leading me to interesting places. This past Tuesday, I put out the eighth Moshiach podcast. I didn't know why, but I had this sense of foreboding that something dark was going to happen on Wednesday. My intuition has been very strong and on the mark of late. Wednesday was the 20th of Sivan. The day came and went, and my intuition served me correctly, as it was a day of emotional intensity for numerous reasons. It resulted in the update on the eighth podcast, which I put out on Wednesday night. Thursday followed with some more difficult ups and downs for me. I ended up doing something I haven't done in a long time - dancing through the streets of Jerusalem. I started in the old city, danced and sang through the 'rova,' continued through Me'ah She'arim and up Malchei Yisrael. I stopped twice to sing 'Tanya,' once for a group of Chassidishe children (about thirty of them - they told me to come back and sing the next day), and once for an elderly woman who was sitting in front of her old age home (she told me to come back and sing for the residents). Thursday night saw my best friend end up in the hospital, and I got to bond with his kids, especially his baby, who I comforted in the middle of the night. Friday and Shabbos were challenging, as well, and Hashem finally helped me out of the darkness on Motza'ei Shabbos, re-employing the unconditional love techniques that He has given me.

This morning, I woke up in a good mood, and after davening and my chevrusa, I sat down to learn a bit. I found myself noting that the 17th of Tammuz, which is the beginning of the three week mourning period for the destruction of the Temple, is exactly seventy days before Rosh Hashana. Clearly, there is a connection between the two days, as we have noted with the 25th of Adar vs. Shavuos, as well as 28th of Iyar (Yom Yerushalayim) and the 9th of Av. So I opened up my siddur to look at the selichos of the 17th of Tammuz, to remind myself of what happened then. It was strange, because I found something I don't remember noticing before. There is actually a fast day on the 20th of Sivan, and a special group of selichos on that day. Last Wednesday, which I had felt a negative gut feeling about, was that day. I looked around for a siddur with some explanation on the day, and I found that it commemorates the massacres of "Tach V'Tat." Although those occurred over a period of two years, or so, they are commemorated on the 20th of Sivan because of another tragedy that occurred on that day almost two hundred years earlier. The siddur also mentioned two more seemingly unrelated facts. One was that the 20th of Sivan was chosen because it never falls out on Shabbos, and the other was that the 20th of Sivan is a day that the fruits fully blossom. Interesting contrast.

As I continued to think about it, Hashem helped me realize that the 20th of Sivan is the beginning of the seven weeks leading up to Tisha B'av. If we were to line up this group of seventy days with the first group of seventy days (from 25th Adar to Shavuos), the 20th of Sivan corresponds to the first day of Chol Hamoed Pesach, which is the first day of the Omer (Chesed She'b'chesed). My intuition tells me that this counting of seventy corresponds precisely to that counting, only this counting is heading into the 'other side' - the sitra achra, the klipos. Thus, the 20th of Sivan represents the beginning of the power of the side of Evil, just as the first day of Chol Hamoed represents the beginning of the buildup to Shavuos - the giving of the Torah. (For more on the connection between the second day of Pesach and Shavuos, please listen to the podcast on Parshas Emor of this year.) What Shavuos is on the side of Good, Tisha B'av is on the side of Evil. Ultimately, the Evil itself will be redeemed and we will see the intense Goodness there as well, which is why the 9th of Av will be a holiday. In any event, as we noted previously, the 9th of Av, and therefore, the 20th of Sivan, as well, represent a time of Nesirah, of eclipse of reflective light. Ultimately, it is this eclipse that brings about the greatest light, when ultimately, the moon will shine its own light, instead of only reflecting the light of the Sun. This contrast within this last idea is reflected in the fact that the 20th of Sivan is a day that can not fall out on Shabbos. Shabbos is the seventh day, the aspect of Malchus, the female and reflection. And yet, at the same time, it is the day when the fruits are producing fully - it is a lack of reflection for the sake of an ultimate reflection.

My thoughts then went to the 17th of Tammuz, and I wondered what the connection is between that day and Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana is a very important day for Moshiach ben Yosef, as it is the day that Yosef Hatzaddik was released from jail and raised up to be the second only to Paroh. I realized, with Hashem's help, that Rosh Hashana is the day that the very concept of Moshiach ben Yosef was born. The first day of Tishrei is when Adam Harishon was created and it was also the day that he sinned by eating from the Eitz Hada'as. This act was what created the need for a Moshiach ben Yosef to rectify that sin. The seventeenth of Tammuz shares this distinction as well, because Moshe Rabbenu had succeeded in returning the Jewish people to a state of Adam before the sin. The period of time from Pesach until Shavuos represents that reinstatement. The Jewish people repeated Adam's sin on the seventeenth of Tammuz with their creation of the Golden Calf, resulting in the breaking of the Luchos containing the ten commandments. The return to Adamic consciousness was held off for another 3000 years. Thus, both of these days represent the fall creating the necessity for Moshiach ben Yosef, and thus they also contain the seed for the birth of Moshiach ben Yosef (as per R' Akiva's laughter).

In pondering Yosef's rise to power, it is significant to note that Yosef is recalled by the wine-bearer of Paroh. As we mentioned in the seventh Moshiach podcast, the sin of Adam (according to one opinion) was with grapes, and thus the rectification comes through grapes/wine. It is remarkable that Yosef is called out of jail specifically by the wine-bearer, and it is through the vehicle of Yosef's interpretation of his dream that involved these baskets of grapes. It is worth pondering the implications of this for Moshiach ben Yosef himself.

In thinking about the period of time from the 17th of Tammuz until Rosh Hashana, we again note a distinct pattern. There are the three weeks of mourning, which are the hidden brains (Keser-Chochma-Binah). These are followed by the 'shiva d'nechemta' - seven weeks of consolation, leading up to Rosh Hashana, which correspond to the lower seven Sefiros (Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes Netsach-Hod-Yesod and Malchus). Through this next group of ten weeks - which overlap with the group of ten we are currently in - we begin to see the rise of Yosef, culminating with Rosh Hashana, when he is freed in a state of rectification.

17th of Tammuz and Moshiach's lost light

This day marks what can arguably be called the greatest tragedy of all of Jewish history. Moshe Rabbenu had been on Har Sinai for forty days and was set to come down with the original Luchos - the Torah of Moshiach! By the grace of Hashem, the Jewish people, with Moshe's help, had succeeded in bringing down the light of Moshiach and returning to the state of Adam Harishon before the sin. They had extracted all the forces of holiness that had been entrapped by the Satan in the forces of Evil, which was embodied in Mitzrayim. At the last moment, the Satan came with a final trick, convinced the Jews that Moshe was dead, and that he would not return. This opened the door for the sin of the Golden Calf, which would return the poison of Evil back into mankind. Moshe had led the Jewish people to the chuppah, but as they stood underneath and were about to be wed to Hashem, as it were, they sinned the sin of adultery. The light of Moshiach that was embodied in the original luchos was shattered, and all the Jews watched in horror as the light, which had been etched into the stones, flew toward heaven, leaving nothing more than a lifeless shell - the broken tablets.

This tragedy is reflected in the later tragedies that occurred on this day - the burning of the Torah, the idol being placed in the Beis Hamikdash, the city of Jerusalem being breached, and the daily offering being stopped. All these are different representations of the loss we brought upon ourselves - the loss of the ultimate light that we wait for, and the infinite joy and closeness to Hashem that accompany it.

The passuk in Zechariah says כה אמר השם צבקות צום הרביעי וצום החמישי וצום השביעי וצום העשירי יהיה לבית יהודה לששון ולשמחה - the fast of the fourth month (Tammuz) and the fast of the fifth month (Av) and the fast of the seventh month (Tishrei) and the fast of the tenth month (teves) will be for the house of Yehuda for joy and gladness.

The classic question that is asked is that we understand that they will be days that are no longer sad, but why will they be joyous?

The answer is that these days are only sad because they represent opportunities lost. The 17th of Tammuz would have been the day of the consummation of our relationship with Hashem if we had not sinned with the Golden calf. But this does not mean that the potential for that relationship was completely lost. This day still holds within it that very light that did not end up being revealed. This day is still the fortieth day from Shavuos, and still represents the relationship that will one day indeed be made complete with the advent of Moshiach. Thus this day will be a day of incredible joy and gladness.

To illustrate this point a bit further, I would like to share a question that Rav Shimon Kessin asks. We find that Moshe Rabbenu himself is actually involved in the final process of Moshiach and of uniting the two Moshiachs together. The question is, Why? While we know that Moshe was Moshiach ben Yosef of his generation, there were many failed Moshiach ben Yosefs that existed in many different times, and we do not find that they are involved in the final process!

The answer is that while Moshe did not succeed in completing the 'marriage' between the Jewish people and Hashem, nevertheless, he did succeed in completing the first stage - the קידושין, as it were. The נישואין - the second stage - was prevented by the maaseh ha'egel, but he wasn't a failed Moshiach - he left the door open for the final Moshiach ben Yosef to complete the job that had already been started. This is why he returns to be involved in the final redemption process.

Thus we see that although the process of Moshiach seems to have been lost on this day, the truth is that it was just put on hold. But the completion of this process will still take place on the day that was destined for it, and then the days of fasting will be replaced with days of joy.