Today, we welcome the month of Tammuz. Each Rosh Chodesh, we recite Hallel, a series of Psalms of praise. It appears contradictory to sing with joy as we enter a month that begins three weeks of mourning, on the 17th of Tammuz, where we commemorate the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls prior to the destruction of the second temple.
This week of all weeks, however, it seems appropriate that we do recite Hallel.
Last week, our brothers and sisters in Israel said kiddish and motzi in shelters.
This week, they are God willing, safely around their Shabbat tables. At moments like this, it felt as if we were reliving history, the breach of Jerusalem’s walls once again.
Yet today, we have a strong Israel and a U.S.-Israel relationship that matters every day.
Over the next few weeks, we will work our way back into the past, learning from our prophets what it was like to be in Jerusalem during the siege, and ultimately, what it was like to live in exile.
We pray that our descendants will read a different message from us, that we had the courage to stand up for our people, a people of life, and ultimately, a people of peace.
