The Month of Tammuz: Calendar, 17 Tammuz, Torah Portions, and Meaning

Tammuz is a month of sharp transition. It begins in the brightness of early summer, continues through the Torah portions of the Book of Numbers, and reaches the 17th of Tammuz, the fast day that opens the Three Weeks leading to Tisha B’Av. So someone searching for a Tammuz calendar is usually looking not only for dates, but for orientation: when Rosh Chodesh falls, when the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz is observed, which Torah portions are read during the month, and how to explain a month of memory, repair, and hope to children.

This page gathers the key dates, meaning, customs, Torah portions, and educational ideas for the month of Tammuz. It is suitable for reading, printing, lesson preparation, Shabbat-table learning, or opening a Tammuz quiz for a family, class, or group.

In Short: What Happens in Tammuz?

Tammuz is the fourth month in the biblical count of the Hebrew months, after Nisan, Iyar, and Sivan. On the Gregorian calendar it usually falls in June-July. Tammuz has 29 days, so Rosh Chodesh Av begins immediately after the 29th of Tammuz.

The month’s central themes include:

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz: the beginning of a short summer month of 29 days
The 17th of Tammuz: a fast day recalling the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls and other painful events in rabbinic tradition
The Three Weeks: the period beginning on 17 Tammuz and continuing until Tisha B’Av
Weekly Torah portions: usually around Korach, Chukat, Balak, Pinchas, Matot, and Masei, depending on the year and on the Israel/Diaspora reading cycle
Educational meaning: responsibility, preserving unity, the power of speech, repairing conflict, and the ability to rebuild
Bible Quiz connection: questions about Moses and the tablets, Jerusalem, destruction, the Torah portions in Numbers, and the concepts of memory and hope

Tammuz Calendar: Key Dates

A useful Tammuz calendar should show the Hebrew and Gregorian date for each day, the weekly Torah portion, the 17th of Tammuz, and the transition from Tammuz to Av. Gregorian dates change every year, so a live site should load them from a reliable, regularly updated calendar source.

Hebrew date	Milestone	What to know
1 Tammuz	Rosh Chodesh Tammuz	The beginning of the month; in some years Rosh Chodesh also includes 30 Sivan
Shabbatot of the month	Torah portions of Tammuz	Usually around Korach, Chukat, Balak, Pinchas, Matot, and Masei
17 Tammuz	Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz	A fast day marking the breach of Jerusalem’s walls and the beginning of the Three Weeks
17 Tammuz through 9 Av	The Three Weeks	A period of memory, restraint, reflection, and hope for rebuilding
Shabbatot after 17 Tammuz	Shabbatot of the Three Weeks	Haftarot and readings gradually leading toward Tisha B’Av, according to communal custom
29 Tammuz	End of the month	The final day of Tammuz, before Rosh Chodesh Av

For example, in Hebrew year 5786, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz falls in mid-June 2026, and the fast of 17 Tammuz falls on Thursday, July 2, 2026. In that year, the Torah portions around the month include Korach, Chukat-Balak, Pinchas, and Matot-Masei, according to the calendar. Always check Israel/Diaspora differences and year-to-year changes.

The Meaning of Tammuz

Tammuz teaches that the Jewish calendar is not made only of joyful holidays. It also contains times that ask us to face brokenness: a breached wall, shattered tablets, damaged trust, a city that needs rebuilding. Yet Tammuz is not a month of despair. It is a month that asks: where does repair begin before the break becomes deeper?

The Mishnah in Taanit teaches that five painful events occurred on the 17th of Tammuz, including the breaking of the tablets, the interruption of the daily offering, and the breaching of the city. When presenting this to children or a community, it is important not to turn the month into a list of tragedies alone. It can also become a month of responsibility: guarding our words, our community, Jerusalem, Torah, and our ability to notice a crack early enough to repair it.

Tammuz can be taught through four themes:

Memory: remembering what happened without flattening the pain
Responsibility: asking what can be repaired before the wall breaks
Speech: learning from Korach, Balaam, and Moses about the power of words
Hope: understanding that the Three Weeks also point toward rebuilding and consolation

The 17th of Tammuz: The Heart of the Month

The 17th of Tammuz is a rabbinic fast day, and it begins the period known as the Three Weeks. Tradition links it to the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls before the destruction of the Temple, and also to Moses breaking the tablets after the sin of the Golden Calf. These two images are powerful: sometimes the break is visible from the outside, like a wall that has been breached; sometimes it is internal, like a covenant that has been wounded.

For an educational site, the 17th of Tammuz should be explained in simple, respectful language:

It is a day of memory for difficult events in Jewish history
The fast begins in the morning and ends in the evening, but exact fast times should be checked by location and year
It opens the three weeks leading to Tisha B’Av
Customs during this period differ among communities, so they should be presented as general guidance rather than personal halachic rulings
The educational focus is not only mourning, but repair: how we protect community, Torah, and Jerusalem

Opening questions for children:

What happened to the walls of Jerusalem on the 17th of Tammuz?
What do the broken tablets symbolize?
How can a period of memory help us repair?
What is the difference between an outer wall and an inner “wall” in a family or classroom?
What small action can rebuild trust?

The Three Weeks: Memory and Repair

The Three Weeks are the period between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av. The Hebrew name Bein HaMetzarim evokes a narrow place, a time when the heart and the community are called to move more carefully. Jewish custom includes forms of restraint and reduced celebration during this period, though the details vary by community and tradition.

The best way to explain the Three Weeks is not only through “do not” language. It is better to present the period as an invitation to pay attention: how do we speak to one another? How do we handle conflict? How do we remember Jerusalem without remaining only in the past? How can pain become responsibility?

A simple family activity for the Three Weeks:

Choose one word each week: guarding, repair, consolation
Let each child write one question about Jerusalem, the Temple, or the weekly Torah portion
Choose one small act of rebuilding: reconciliation, help, learning, or careful speech
Before Tisha B’Av, return to the question: what did Tammuz teach us about responsibility?

Torah Portions in Tammuz

The Torah portions read during Tammuz change from year to year and may differ between Israel and the Diaspora. Usually the month falls around the middle and end of the Book of Numbers: Korach, Chukat, Balak, Pinchas, Matot, and Masei.

The themes of these portions fit a month of repair:

Korach: conflict, leadership, and the danger of rebellion dressed as idealism
Chukat: the red heifer, the waters of Meribah, the limits of understanding, and the responsibility of leadership
Balak: the power of speech, blessing versus curse, and the ability to see good instead of fear
Pinchas: zeal, covenant, public responsibility, and the daughters of Zelophehad asking for justice and inheritance
Matot: vows, words that bind, and the responsibility of tribes and individuals
Masei: the journeys of Israel, remembering the road, and preparing to enter the Land

A monthly page should ideally include a dynamic “Torah portion in Tammuz” component by year, date, and reading custom. That turns the page from a general article into a useful tool that connects calendar, parashah, and weekly quiz.

Customs and Family Learning Themes

Tammuz is especially suited to short learning that connects history, Tanakh, and character development. A ten-minute weekly session is enough; the month does not need to feel overly heavy.

Learning ideas:

On Rosh Chodesh: explain why Tammuz has 29 days and what Rosh Chodesh means
In the first week: learn one question from Parashat Korach about conflict and listening
Before 17 Tammuz: speak about walls, boundaries, and trust
After 17 Tammuz: choose one small act of repair for the home or classroom
Toward the end of the month: connect the journeys in the wilderness with each child’s own journey

Add a gentle note on the site: details of the fast and customs depend on age, health, pregnancy, nursing, communal practice, and personal halachic guidance. The page offers explanation and education; it does not replace a halachic consultation when needed.

Questions for Children and a Tammuz Quiz

A Tammuz quiz can begin with simple knowledge questions and move toward deeper reflection:

Which month comes before Tammuz?
How many days are in Tammuz?
On which Hebrew date is the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz?
Which period begins on 17 Tammuz?
What does the breach of Jerusalem’s walls symbolize?
What happened to the tablets after the sin of the Golden Calf?
Which Torah portion focuses on Korach’s conflict?
In which Torah portion does Balaam appear?
What can Parashat Matot teach about words and vows?
How can memory become an act of repair?

Call to action: Start the Tammuz quiz and choose a track by age: children, teens, family, or classroom. Begin with calendar questions, continue with the Torah portions in Numbers, and end with one personal question about repair and rebuilding.

Recommended Page Experience

To make the page useful rather than only informative, build it as a monthly tool:

A month calendar with Hebrew and Gregorian dates for each day
Markers for Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 17 Tammuz, and Rosh Chodesh Av
Fast times by location and year, if supported by the site
Weekly Torah portion by year and Israel/Diaspora custom
A “today in Tammuz” area with one short daily question
Print or PDF button for the Tammuz calendar
Quick links to the Hebrew calendar, today’s Hebrew date, the weekly Torah portion, and Tisha B’Av
A Tammuz quiz with questions about Jerusalem, the tablets, Torah portions, and character traits

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Tammuz occur?

Tammuz usually falls in June-July on the Gregorian calendar. The exact dates change each year, so the calendar should be checked for the relevant year.

How many days are in Tammuz?

Tammuz has 29 days. After the 29th of Tammuz, Rosh Chodesh Av begins.

What is the 17th of Tammuz?

The 17th of Tammuz is a fast day and day of memory. It marks, among other things, the breach of Jerusalem’s walls and the breaking of the tablets, and it opens the Three Weeks.

When do the Three Weeks begin?

The Three Weeks begin on the 17th of Tammuz and continue until Tisha B’Av. This is a period of memory, restraint, and reflection, with customs that vary by community.

Which Torah portions are read in Tammuz?

The portions change by year and by Israel or Diaspora custom. Usually Tammuz falls around Korach, Chukat, Balak, Pinchas, Matot, and Masei.

How do you explain Tammuz to children?

You can explain that Tammuz is a month for noticing broken places and repairing them. It includes Jerusalem, the tablets, conflict, the power of speech, and small actions that rebuild trust.

Does everyone have to fast on the 17th of Tammuz?

The 17th of Tammuz is a communal fast, but the details of obligation and exemption depend on age, health, personal circumstances, and custom. When in doubt, consult a rabbi or qualified authority.

How does Tammuz connect to a Bible Quiz?

You can include questions about Moses and the tablets, the Golden Calf, Jerusalem, the Torah portions from Korach through Masei, speech, conflict, journeys, and the Three Weeks.

Tammuz Quiz Idea

Quiz name: “Tammuz: Walls, Tablets, and a Journey of Repair”

Suggested structure: 18 questions in three stages: the month calendar and 17 Tammuz, the Torah portions in Numbers, and values-based questions about speech, conflict, and rebuilding. At the end, users receive a family task: choose one “wall” worth strengthening at home, in class, or in the community - trust, listening, help, or mutual respect - and write a question about it for the next quiz.

Recommended Schema

Add Article, BreadcrumbList, and FAQ Page schema. If a print or PDF flow is implemented, add a short HowTo schema: choose a year, open the month of Tammuz, display 17 Tammuz, check the weekly Torah portion, and print the calendar.