Tekufah Tammuz, The Summer Solstice

6/21/22: Tekufah Tammuz / The Summer Solstice! The Sun enters Cancer, and it's the longest day of the year. (Not to be confused with Rosh Chodesh Tammuz which doesn't begin until 6/29 this year).

The Jewish Year is like a four-cornered garment and the Tekufot (the Solstices and the Equinoxes) are the tzitzit in time, signaling a change of season. Tekufah Tammuz begins "'et ha-ḳaẓir" (harvest-time), aka "Summer".

There's an old belief that drinking liquids which had been left uncovered during the first hours of the Tekufah can be very dangerous (changing of the guardian angels of the Tekufah and they might not notice a demon slipping by them while the angels of Tekufah Nisan are replaced by those of Tekufah Tammuz), so take care to keep a lid on that drink today!

Blessing everyone with a truly abundant "'et ha-ḳaẓir", may you harvest double what you've sown during this summer season, which runs from today until Tekufah Tishrei, the autumnal equinox.

(Pictured: The Zodiac and men of four nations, representing the four Tekufot / seasonal directions, from Sefer Evronot 1664)