Tammuz is the fourth month of the Hebrew year. It is a month replete with disasters for the Jewish nation. For the entirety of the month of Tammuz the twelve spies sent by Moses were travelling the land of Israel, from which they would bring an evil report that they delivered to the people. On the ninth and again on the seventeenth of Tammuz the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians. The creation and worship of the golden calf likewise took place during the month of Tammuz. The Jewish sages associate the month of Tammuz with the sense of hearing. In order to obviate the ill effect of the spies evil report we are instructed to only hear and make heard good things about ther land of Israel, especially during the month of Tammuz.