The first letters of “Zikhru Torat Moshe (be mindful of Moshe’s Torah)” (Malachi 3:22) spell TaMmuZ without the vav. This is because it is then, in Tammuz, that we must elicit mindfulness in order to rectify forgetfulness. For it was then that forgetfulness came into existence; as a result of the Tablets being broken in the month of Tammuz, forgetfulness came into being. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Had the first Tablets not been shattered, the Torah would not have been forgotten by the Jews (Eruvin 54a).
Thus, the vav is missing from Tammuz, as mentioned above. This is because as a result of the Tablets having been broken, the vav departed. For the Tablets are the aspect of vav, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: The Tablets were vav handbreadths long by vav handbreadths wide (Bava Batra 14a).
The first letters of “Zman Matan Torateinu (the season of the Giving of our Torah)” (Amidah of Shavuot) also spell TaMmuZ. For the Tablets were given in Tammuz, as taught by our Sages, of blessed memory (Yoma 4b). Here, too, the vav is missing, because the Tablets—being the aspect of vav—were broken then.
זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה (סוף מלאכי) – רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת תַּמֻז, חָסֵר וָאו. כִּי אָז, בְּתַמּוּז, צְרִיכִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַזִּכָּרוֹן לְתַקֵּן הַשִּׁכְחָה, כִּי אָז נִתְהַוֶּה הַשִּׁכְחָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַלּוּחוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּבְּרוּ בְּחֹדֶשׁ תַּמּוּז נִתְהַוָּה הַשִּׁכְחָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין נד): אִלְמָלֵא לֹא נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת לֹא נִשְׁתַּכְּחָה תּוֹרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל,
The first letters of “Zikhru Torat Moshe (be mindful of Moshe’s Torah)” (Malachi 3:22) spell TaMmuZ without the vav. This is because it is then, in Tammuz, that we must elicit mindfulness in order to rectify forgetfulness. For it was then that forgetfulness came into existence; as a result of the Tablets being broken in the month of Tammuz, forgetfulness came into being. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Had the first Tablets not been shattered, the Torah would not have been forgotten by the Jews (Eruvin 54a).
וְעַל־כֵּן חָסֵר וָאו מִתַּמֻּז כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת נִסְתַּלֵּק הַוָּאו, כִּי הַלּוּחוֹת הֵם בְּחִינַת וָאו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ב"ב יד): הַלּוּחוֹת אָרְכָּן שִׁשָּׁה וְרָחְבָּן שִׁשָּׁה:
Thus, the vav is missing from Tammuz, as mentioned above. This is because as a result of the Tablets having been broken, the vav departed. For the Tablets are the aspect of vav, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: The Tablets were vav handbreadths long by vav handbreadths wide (Bava Batra 14a).
גַּם זְמַן מַתַּן תּוֹרָתֵנוּ – רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת תַּמֻּז. כִּי בְּתַמּוּז נִתְּנוּ הַלּוּחוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא ד:). וְגַם כָּאן חָסֵר וָאו, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאָז נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת וָאו, כַּנַּ"ל:
The first letters of “Zman Matan Torateinu (the season of the Giving of our Torah)” (Amidah of Shavuot) also spell TaMmuZ. For the Tablets were given in Tammuz, as taught by our Sages, of blessed memory (Yoma 4b). Here, too, the vav is missing, because the Tablets—being the aspect of vav—were broken then.