B"H
Friday, Menachem Av 15, 5779 / August 16, 2019
Today, the 15th day in the month of Menachem Av, is a special day in the Hebrew calendar. In contrast to the first nine days of this month, today is a very joyous day.
During the time of the Holy Temple it was one of the happiest days of the year. The 15th of Av was “matchmaking” day in Israel. The Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, said: “There were no greater festive days for Israel than the 15th of Av.” On this day the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards and they would say, "Young man, raise your eyes and see what you select for yourself.” It was a day of matchmaking which led to weddings.
The Talmud lists several joyous historical events which occurred on the 15th day of Av: 1) The dying of the generation of the Exodus ceased. Because they refused to go into the Promised Land, G-d decreed that all men between ages 20 and 60, who came out of Egypt, would die in the desert during the next forty years. On the 15th of Av, in the 40th year in the desert, the dying ended.
2) In order to ensure the orderly division of the Holy Land between the twelve tribes of Israel, restrictions had been placed on marriages between members of two different tribes. This restriction was binding only on the generation that conquered and settled the Holy Land. The restriction was lifted on the 15th of Av. As a result, the 15th of Av became a day of celebration and festivity.
3) On the 15th of Av the tribe of Benjamin, which had been excommunicated for a particular indecent behavior (as related in Judges 19-21), was readmitted into the community of Israel.
4) Upon the division of the Holy Land into two kingdoms, following the death of King Solomon, Jerobam ben Nebat, ruler of the breakaway Northern Kingdom of Israel, set up roadblocks to prevent his citizens from making the three yearly pilgrimages to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They were removed more than 200 years later, on the 15th of Av, by Hosea ben Elah, the last king of the Northern Kingdom.
5) The fortress of Betar was the last holdout of the Bar Kochba rebellion. When Betar fell, tens of thousands of Jews were killed. The Romans massacred the survivors of the battle with great cruelty and would not allow their burials. They were finally brought to burial on the 15th of Av.
Shabbat we read Parshat Va’etchanan. This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Nachmu” – “Shabbat of Comfort.” From this Shabbat to Rosh Hashana there are seven weeks in which we read seven prophecies of comfort about the coming of Moshiach. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 7:42 / Shabbat ends: 8:47
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