But there is another significant point. The reversal of Ruth’s letters can also be pronounced “scout” (תּוּר), which connects her with the spies who were sent to scout the Land of Canaan, as mentioned in the first reading of Shelach. Though we read this parashah in the month of Sivan, the events occurred during the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Tammuz until the ninth of Av.
Why did the Gaon of Vilna associate the month of Tammuz with the sense of walking? He connects it to the spies, who scouted the land in the month of Tammuz. Why did he associate seeing with the month of Sivan? Because of the verse “and all the people saw the voices,” the experience of seeing during the giving of the Torah. Nevertheless, the main principle is the opposite: Sivan primarily involves walking following halachah (הֲלָכָה), God’s commandments, which in Hebrew are cognate with walking (הֲלִיכָה). Tammuz is a month of rectifying sight. This too is connected to the spies who were sent to scout the Land, not for the sake of walking, but for the sake of seeing it. They needed to see and report what they saw—not to form an opinion or intervene—to verify how good the land is.
So, there is indeed significance in the month of Tammuz for seeing reality, for seeing the land. Their journey, forty days, ended on the ninth of Av. Though it is the lowest point of the Jewish calendar, the sages say that on this day the Mashiach is born, connecting us once again to “the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” hinting to the birth of Mashiach and the redemption.
Ruth and the Land of Israel
Firstly, what is the initial hint that we have extracted so far? That there is a revealed power in the Book of Ruth to rectify the sin of the spies. How so? They traveled and scouted the entire Land and spread an evil report about it. Whereas Ruth dedicated herself to reaching the land, even from abroad, from Moab, with Naomi all with tremendous self-sacrifice.
There is another straightforward connection that has to do with the nature of birds in the Land of Israel—an important subject in itself. What is the difference between a turtledove (וֹתּר) and a pigeon (יוֹנָה)? Why is the turtledove associated with scouting? It is explicitly stated that the turtledove, more than the pigeon, is so named because it wanders, it is a migratory bird. The voice of the turtle dove being heard in our land suggests that earlier it was not heard and now it has arrived. When it returns to the land and its voice is heard, it is a good sign, a sign of awakening. It may traditionally be in the month of Nisan, the month of spring, but we are now learning that there is a specific turtledove that suddenly arrives in the land and is heard in the month of Av, on the ninth of Av. It turns out that our turtledove is a tourist.
In addition, whenever they are mentioned in the Torah the turtledoves, which are larger than the pigeons, are referred to as feminine. This itself hints that a turtledove is associated with a woman, with Ruth.
