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B"H

Wednesday, Menachem Av 15, 5780 / August 5, 2020

 

Today, is the 15th day of the Hebrew month Av, also known as Tu B’Av. It is a special joyous day in the Hebrew calendar. The Talmud says, “No days were as festive for Israel as the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur." The following are the reasons why this day was so special. 

 

1.  The Jewish people, in the desert, displayed a lack of trust in G-d, when they refused to go into the Promised Land - Israel.  G-d punished them and decreed that all 600,000 men, between the ages of 20 and 60, who left Egypt would die in the desert over a period of 40 years. Only their children would enter into the Promised Land.

 

This decree was made on Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av), the day when they refused to go to Israel. Each year, during the forty years in the desert, 15,000 people would die. But on the 40th year, G-d rescinded the decree and the last 15,000 were allowed to go into the Promised Land. It was on the 15th of Av that they realized that the decree was rescinded. Thus, it became a joyous day. 

 

2. When they entered into Israel, there were certain restrictions placed prohibiting marriages to take place between one tribe of Israel and another.  Later, due to a certain unfortunate incident, there was a decree that no one may give their daughter in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin. These two prohibitions were eventually removed on the 15th day of Av and resulted in a holiday.

 

3.  After the death of King Solomon, the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two.  Yeravam ben Nevat ruled over ten tribes, while Rechavam ruled over two tribes which also included Jerusalem.  Yeravam set up two idols and placed road blocks and guards to prevent Jews under his rule from visiting the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  The ten tribes were barred from going to Jerusalem for many many years. On the 15th of Av, King Hoshea, removed the barriers so they can go to Jerusalem.

 

4.  The 15th of Av was the last day for the yearly cutting of the wood to be contributed for the Beth Hamikdash and was considered a festive day.

 

5.  During the revolt of Bar Kochba hundreds of thousand of Jews were killed in the city of Betar.  The Romans prohibited their burial. It was on this day when permission was finally granted to bury them. 

 

Q.   As mentioned before, our sages say, “No days were as festive for Israel as the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur."  What does this day, the 15th of Av, have in common with Yom Kippur?

 

A.    Yom Kippur is the day when G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf.  It was on that day that Moshe came down from the mountain with the second Tablets.  Just as Yom Kippur symbolizes the atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, the 15th of Av (Tu B'Av) signifies the atonement for the sin of the Spies, as mentioned before, that the plague, which killed 15,000 people each year, finally ended on Tu B'Av.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY