The Month of Tammuz

Last week we marked the New Moon of Tammuz. A month that contains both the great break and the days of the Three Weeks. When Moses ascends to bring the word of God, the people of Israel, thirsting for leadership, replaces him with the calf. It so wants to see holiness with its eyes that it depicts it for itself. In our generation too, the worship of the golden calf is a constant challenge: temptations, money, social status, an imagined 'holiness,' and many more golden calves that we know. We must ask honestly: where is the calf hidden in our lives? In which domains do we ascribe supreme power to what is not worthy of it? Do we give to a rabbi, a leader, a project, or even to ourselves a place that replaces the presence of God? The worship of the calf separates us from the Holy One, blessed be He. It creates a break in the heart, a break between truth and falsehood, between soul and superficiality. Only when we grind the calf to fine dust can we return and be attentive to the Holy One, blessed be He.

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Book Week is back. Look for us at the 'Yedioth Sefarim' booth at Safra Square in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv!