Tu B’Ab - טו באב
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
II. Intertribal
marriage permitted
III. Benjamin
re-enters the nation
Tu B’Ab[2] (Tu B’Av) is surely the festival which formed the basis for the Gentile celebration of Valentine’s Day. Never the less, the two dates are rooted very differently. Tu B’Ab is focused on the love between Husband and wife, between Israel and HaShem. Valentine’s Day is focused on pagan ideas and values which are foreign to Torah.
Tu B’Ab - טו באב is a date. The
Hebrew letters are used to form a date: Tet - ט = 9, Vav - ו
= 5; 9+5=15. Thus the date for Tu B’Ab is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Ab. The fifteenth of the month of Ab
(the fifth month), has the character of a minor festival.
Brides and grooms who marry on this day do not fast.
Tu B’Ab is also called Chamishah-Asar B’Ab, which is how we pronounce
the number 15, in the month of Ab.
So, when is Tu B’Av? Here are the dates for Tu
B’Av in the near term:
Av 15, 5771 corresponds
to August 15, 2011
Av 15, 5772 corresponds
to August 3, 2012
Av 15, 5773 corresponds
to July 22, 2013
Av 15, 5774 corresponds
to August 11, 2014
Tu B’Ab occurs on a full moon, as the Hebrew calendar is lunar. Ancient cultures which link the full moon with love, fertility, and romance are derived from HaShem’s meaning for this day.
Tu B’Ab is one of the more obscure and yet deeply profound holidays in the Jewish calendar. To emphasize this, our Sages point out that virtually every major holiday will pale away after the Mashiach arrives and Tu B’Ab will come to the forefront.
This festive day comes six days after Tisha B’Ab, the 9th of Ab, which culminates a three week period of sadness and repentance. It also comes only two weeks before Elul which begins a forty day period of repentance. As such, Tu B’Ab is a festive time sandwiched between two periods of great repentance. This positioning gives us a clue as to the real nature of this minor festival.
On a
conceptual level, the 15th of Ab is the end, or correction, of the 9th
of Ab.
We spiral forward in time. Each place on the spiral has its own holiness and its own events. We look for events of freedom on Passover because that is the season for freedom. In the same way we look for tragedies on the seventeenth of Tammuz[3] and the three weeks culminating in the ninth of Ab[4], because that is the time now appointed for tragedy. As we spiral towards Tu B’Ab, we should expect to see the spiritual energy of this day bring out events that have the character of events that occurred in the past, on this date.
The
theme of Tu B’Ab is love and the unity that love brings.
It is worth noting that only the Biblical calendar has this effect. We will not see this in the Gregorian or any other calendar system. It is for this reason that we need to learn HaShem’s calendar and pay close attention to it.
Let’s begin to
understand this special day by examining a major aspect of this day as noted in
the Talmud:
Taanit 26b R. SIMEON
B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF JOY THAN THE
FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. ON
THESE DAYS THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM USED TO WALK OUT
IN WHITE GARMENTS WHICH THEY BORROWED IN ORDER NOT TO PUT TO SHAME ANY ONE WHO
HAD NONE. ALL THESE GARMENTS REQUIRED RITUAL DIPPING. THE DAUGHTERS OF
JERUSALEM CAME OUT AND DANCED IN THE VINEYARDS EXCLAIMING AT THE SAME TIME,
YOUNG MAN, LIFT UP THINE EYES AND SEE WHAT THOU
CHOOSEST FOR THYSELF. DO NOT SET THINE EYES ON BEAUTY BUT SET THINE EYES ON
[GOOD] FAMILY. GRACE IS DECEITFUL, AND BEAUTY IS VAIN; BUT A WOMAN THAT FEARETH
THE LORD, SHE SHALL BE PRAISED. AND IT FURTHER SAYS, GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF
HER HANDS; AND LET HER WORKS PRAISE HER IN THE GATES.
Note the reference to the ultimate in Human love, the love between husband and wife.
Taanit 30b R. SIMEON
B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF JOY THAN THE
FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. I can understand the Day of
Atonement, because it is a day of forgiveness and pardon and on it the second
Tables of the Law were given, but what happened on the
fifteenth of Ab? — Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: It is the day on which
permission was granted to the tribes to inter-marry.
Whence may this be adduced? — Scripture says, This is the thing which the Lord
hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad etc., [meaning] ‘this
thing’ shall hold good for this generation only. R. Joseph said in the name of
R. Nahman: It is the day on which the tribe of Benjamin
was permitted to re-enter the congregation [of Israel],
as it is said, Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying: There shall
not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. From what was their
exposition? — Rab said: From the phrase ‘any of us’ which was interpreted to
mean, ‘but not from any of our children’.
The Talmud, above, notes:
“… It is the day in which the tribes were permitted to marry one another.”
Note, again, the reference to the ultimate in Human love – The love between husband and wife.
The commentary of Tosafot adds: “‘the day in which the tribes were permitted to marry one another’, this constitutes a Yom Tov (holiday)”. This seems very strange. Tu B’Ab is not one of our major holidays, certainly not of the likes of Yom HaKippurim!
Reb Yaakov Yitzchak of Preshischa, called the Yehudi HaKodesh, the Holy Jew, explained: Tosafot was troubled. What is the comparison between Tu B’Ab and Yom HaKippurim? Yom HaKippurim is a holiday because of the forgiving of transgression; Tu B’Ab is for another reason -- the day in which the tribes were permitted to marry one another. Rather, it must be that the meaning behind the two days is the same, and this is the intention of Tosafot in its statement, “this constitutes a Yom Tov (holiday).” Tu B’Ab is also a Yom Tov just like Yom HaKippurim, because “one who marries is forgiven all his transgressions”. Therefore, the day in which the tribes were permitted to marry one another was considered comparable to Yom HaKippurim.[5] We shall explore the relationship of marriage and atonement a little later.
Tu B’Ab is mentioned in the Tanach[6], in Shoftim. Nowhere does the Torah introduce this feast. Without an understanding of the Oral Torah, one would be hard pressed to explain the origins of this feast. Let’s examine the pasuk which speaks of this feast:
Shoftim (Judges) 21:19 Then they said, Behold, [there is] a feast
(chag) of HaShem in
In order to understand
the significance of the feast of the 15th of Ab, we will consult the Gemara, in Taanit 30b-31a, where we will find the explanations of exactly why this feast day is a
day of happiness.
The Gemara[7] quotes six reasons why Tu B’Ab was made a holiday:
1.
Marriage between different
tribes of
-
Love between husband and wife.-
2. Intermarriage with the tribe of Benjamin was once again permitted after the Pilegesh B’giva civil war.[9] [10]
-
Love between husband and wife.-
3. The generation that left Egypt ceased to die in the wilderness. Consequently, Moses returned to his previous high level of prophecy.[11]
-
Love between HaShem and His bride.-
4. King Hosea permitted residents of the Northern Kingdom to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, once again.[12]
-
Love between HaShem and His bride.-
5. The dead of the great fallen city of Betar were granted burial by the Roman government.
- Love
between
6. Starting on the fifteenth of Ab the sharp heat of the sun begins to wane. Wood cut after that date was thus unfit for use on the Altar; it was feared to be wormy.
The reason for the exile, and the destruction of the Temple
was: Baseless hatred between HaShem’s people. It is
becoming clear that the holiday of Tu B’Ab is the tikkun, the rectification of
this great tragedy. The descent of Tisha B’Ab and its
tragedies has as its tikkun the ascent of Tu B’Ab.
The
Unfortunately, the brothers were never able to resolve their
differences with Joseph. The son of Rachel who became the unifying symbol of
the people was Benjamin, and the
Bereshit
(Genesis) 45:14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
Megillah
16b; Rashi - Genesis 45:14 Rabbi Eleazar said: “[Joseph] wept for
the two Temples which were
destined to be in the
On the 9th of Ab, in the days of
Moshe, the tribes of Joseph and Judah were united:
When the spies returned only Joshua and Caleb, from the tribes of Joseph and
Judah respectively, remained steadfast in their desire to enter Israel. They serve as the prototypes for the Messiah from Joseph, and the Messiah from David (
Let’s look at each of
these six reasons, given by Chazal, in greater detail:
Taanit
30b R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN
ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF JOY THAN THE FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. I can understand the Day of Atonement,
because it is a day of forgiveness and pardon and on it the second Tables of
the Law were given, but what happened on the fifteenth
of Ab? — Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: It is the day on which
permission was granted to the tribes to inter-marry. Whence may this be
adduced? — Scripture says, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded
concerning the daughters of Zelophehad etc., [meaning] ‘this thing’ shall hold
good for this generation only.
The Torah tells us in
Bamidbar:
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 36:8-9 “any unmarried woman who inherits
property... shall marry one from a family of the
tribe of her father’s, so that...an inheritance will not pass from one tribe to
another.”
The theme of division and reunion may be the key to the
reasons offered by the Talmud. Significantly, the
prohibition of inter-tribal marriage began with the daughters of Tzlafchad, who were from the tribe of Joseph. Surely this law, which
maintained each tribe as insulated and separate, also had a negative impact on
interpersonal relationships between Jews.
This restriction
prevented the transfer of the inheritance a woman received from her father to
her husband’s tribe permanently upon her death. On the 15th of Ab, the Sages
arrived at the conclusion, based on an understanding of a verse, that this
restriction only applied to the generation that entered the land
of Israel with Joshua. The lifting of this restriction was a cause of great
joy, especially among women. Previously, if a woman was an heiress, she could
only marry someone from within her tribe. Now, all women were free to marry any
man from any tribe. Because of the joy that was experienced
in that time, this date, the anniversary of that
lifting of the restriction, is also a day of great joy.
Tu B’Ab marks reunifications with the sons of Rachel who had become estranged from the community.
In earlier times Tu B’Ab was a festival dedicated to young Jewish men and women finding their mates. Even today, the wall posters of Jerusalem announce special Tu B’Ab prayers for finding a match.
Taanit
30b R. Joseph said in the name of R. Nahman: It is
the day on which the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to re-enter the
congregation [of Israel], as it is said, Now the men
of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying: There shall not any of us give his
daughter unto Benjamin to wife. From what was their exposition? — Rab said:
From the phrase ‘any of us’ which was interpreted to mean, ‘but not from any of
our children’.
The next reason the Gemara offers is that of Rav Yosef in the name of Rav
Nachman. In Shoftim (Judges), chapters 19-20, we find the incident of the Pilegesh B’giva. A man was traveling with his concubine, Pilegesh, and servant back to his
home. As evening approached, the group of travelers arrived in the city of Giv’ah,
in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, hoping
to find a place to stay. Only one old man offered to put the group up.
He brought them to his
home, and offered them and their donkeys food and drink. As the guests were refreshing themselves, wicked people from the city
began banging on the door of the house, demanding that the old man send out the
male guests from his house. The old man went out to the crowd, and tried to
appease them by offering his own daughter and the man’s concubine. He pleaded
with them not to do anything disgraceful. The crowd took away the concubine.
When she returned the next morning, after being assaulted, she collapsed and
died on the old man’s doorstep. In the morning, the man discovered his
concubine was dead. He took her body with him back
home. He then cut her body into twelve pieces,
sending each tribe of Israel
a piece, to inform them of the abomination that occurred.
The whole nation was in
an uproar and disgusted by what had happened. Over 400,000 warriors from all
tribes gathered to eradicate this evil. The group demanded from the tribe of
Benjamin that the evil men of Giv’ah be turned over, but the tribe refused and
joined with the inhabitants of Giv’ah to battle against the rest of the nation.
On the first two days of the battle, the unified tribes
suffered severe casualties. The tribes then offered sacrifices, prayed, cried, and fasted, asking HaShem
for His assistance. They asked the Kohen Gadol, the
High Priest, what should be done. He responded that
on the next day, the tribe of Benjamin would be delivered into the hands of the
rest of the nation. That is what happened.
After this incident, the
tribes swore that they would not let any man from the tribe of Benjamin marry their daughters. The people who made the oath
felt much remorse over having to take such an action, as they were in essence
cutting off a tribe from
Shoftim (Judges) 21:19-21 Then
they said, Behold, [there is] a feast (Chag) of HaShem in
The isolation of the members of the tribe of Benjamin (second son of Rachel) can be seen in a different light. Their role in the episode of the concubine of Givah was certainly an outrage, but the isolation of an entire tribe was even more significant in light of the ongoing division between the sons of Rachel and the sons of Leah.
Tu B’Ab marks reunifications with the sons of Rachel who had become estranged from the community.
Taanit
30b Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in the name of R.
Johanan: It is the day on which the generation of the
wilderness ceased to die out. For a Master said: So long as the generation of
the wilderness continued to die out there was no divine communication to Moses,
as it is said, So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and
dead . . . that the Lord spake unto me. [Only then] came the divine
communication ‘unto me’.
The third reason the Gemara gives is that of Rabbi bar Chana in the name of
Rabbi Yochanan, said that the adult Jews who departed from Egypt had a decree placed on them that
they were to die before their children entered the
On the 9th of Ab, when the
Children of Israel sent spies to search the land, the tribes
of Joseph and Judah were united: When the spies
returned only Joshua and Caleb, from the tribes of Joseph and Judah
respectively, remained steadfast in their desire to enter Israel.
They serve as the prototypes for the Mashiach ben Yosef, and the Mashiach ben David (
Each year, every man in
the age group destined to die would dig a grave for himself and lie down in it
on the eve on the 9th of Ab. 15,000 men were destined to die each year on Tisha B’Ab. All those who remained alive come the
close of the 9th of Ab would get up, and repeat the same actions the next year.
In the fortieth year, everyone arose. Seeing that no
one had died, they thought that they might have erred in their calculation of
the date, so they returned to their graves every night until the night of the
15th. On the 15th, they saw the full moon which indicated that their
calculations were correct, and still no one had died. The decree was over, and
there was cause for celebration. This meant that HaShem
had spared the last 15,000 men. This was truly a day for rejoicing!
Furthermore, the Gemara tells us that as long as those destined to die
were still alive, the Divine Communication between HaShem and Moshe was on a
lower and less personal level, to the extent that the Gemara considers it “no
Divine Communication”. Once the 15th of Ab passed and it was confirmed that the
decree was no longer, HaShem resumed speaking to Moshe as he had before the
enactment of the decree. As this communication was for the benefit of Israel, the day it returned was a day of rejoicing and
celebration.
Taanit
30b ‘Ulla said: It is the
day on which Hosea the son of Elah removed the guards which Jeroboam the son of
Nebat had placed on the roads to prevent Israel from going [up to Jerusalem] on pilgrimage, and he proclaimed, Let them go
up to whichever shrine they desire.
The fourth reason the Gemara mentions is that of Ulla. He
said that the wicked king Jeroboam ben Nevat ( the
first king of the
Hoshea did not lead people toward Jerusalem,
toward the service of HaShem; rather he displayed remarkably liberal thinking
and was not particular whether his constituents served HaShem in the
Yet even this reversal seems insufficient cause for celebration: Hoshea merely removed the guards charged with preventing pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Furthermore, during Hoshea’s reign the Ten Tribes were carried into captivity. In order to understand the significance of Hoshea’s decree, we must first understand the implications of Jeroboam’s actions.
Due to the spiritual failings of King Solomon, HaShem wrested part of the monarchy from the Davidic family.
1 Melachim (Kings) 11:29-32 And
it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went from
Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahiya the Shilonite found him in the way; and he
had clad himself with a new garment; and the two were
alone in the field. And Ahiya caught the new garment that was on him, and tore
it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, “Take
your ten pieces; for thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand
of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you. But he
shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s
sake, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of
Jeroboam ignored HaShem’s plan and
built an alternative place of worship in an attempt to deter the people from
1 Melachim (Kings) 12:25-27 Then
Jeroboam built Shechem in
1 Melachim (Kings) 12:28-29 And
the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, “It is
too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, which
brought you out of the land of Egypt.” And he set
one in Beit-El, and the other he placed in Dan.
Now we gain some insight into the actions of Hoshea. Unlike
Jeroboam, Hoshea was not afraid or jealous of
Taanit 31a R. Mattenah said: It is the day when permission was granted for those
killed at Betar to be buried. R. Mattenah further
said: On the day when permission was granted for those killed at Betar to be
buried [the Rabbis] at Yabneh instituted [the recitation of] the benediction, ‘Who
art kind and dealest kindly etc.’; ‘Who art kind’: Because their dead bodies did not become putrid; ‘And dealest kindly’:
Because permission was granted for their burial.
The fifth reason is that offered by Rav Masnah. On the 9th of Ab, the inhabitants of the city of
Taanit 31a Rabbah and R. Joseph both said: It is the day on which [every year]
they discontinued to fell trees for the altar. It has been taught: R. Eliezer
the elder says: From the fifteenth of Ab onwards the strength of the sun grows
less and they no longer felled trees for the altar, because they would not dry
[sufficiently]. R. Menashya said: And they called it the Day of the Breaking of
the Axe. From this day onwards, he who increases [his knowledge
through study] will have his life prolonged, but he who does not increase [his knowledge] will have his life taken away. What is
meant by ‘taken away’? — R. Joseph learnt: Him his mother will bury.
The final reason mentioned is that of Rabba and Rav Yosef. In the time of the Temple, wood was collected throughout the year for use on the altar. The wood used had to be free of worms. One way of ensuring that the wood was “worm-free” was to let the wood dry out, and worms only inhabit moist wood. The wood that was collected for the altar was sun dried, to assure that it would be fit for use. On the 15th of Ab each year, they stopped gathering wood. This is because as of this date, the heat of the sun is inadequate to sufficiently dry out freshly cut wood, and therefore it would be difficult to assure that the wood would be fit for use on the altar. As the 15th of Ab marked the completion of the performance of this mitzva, it was proclaimed a festive occasion.
Why was this a festive occasion? Rabbenu Gershom explains that once the wood harvest was over, there was more time for learning Torah. Adds Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg shlita: Look how the sages valued Torah study! Consider how little time and how few people were involved in this wood chopping, yet for the small amount of additional Torah which could be studied after this day, Chazal, our Sages, ordained a holiday. Chazal say, “One who studies more Torah after the 15th of Ab, and especially at night, will have reward added. One who does not will be buried”. Why such a stringent punishment? Rav Scheinberg explains (based upon the writings of the Vilna Gaon) that man’s mission on earth is not only to study Torah and to do mitzvot, but to do so in a way which overcomes his natural urges and tendencies. As the summer winds down and darkness comes earlier, one would tend to go sleep earlier, especially before the advent of electric lights. Thus, man’s responsibility, his mission, is to make an extra effort to stay awake at night and to study Torah.[15]
1. Moshe goes up on Sinai, a second time, to plead for mercy after the golden calf - day 26. Shemot (Exodus) 32:30-35, Gemara 28b.
2.
Israelites camp at
Divon Gad (sorrowing overcomers), 2488 AM. This is camp 38. Study on Bamidbar
(Numbers) 33 Taanith 30b.
3.
The
appointed time for the family of Zattu (tribe of
4.
The last of the exodus
generation died. Bava Batra 121a
5.
Inter-tribal marriage
permitted, after the parcelization of the land.
6.
Reconciliation between of Benyamim
and the other tribes. Judges 21:14
7. Hoshea ben Elah, King of Israel, removed the blockades set by Yavrovam ben Nevat had constructed to prevent the people from ascending to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals. The Book of Our Heritage, Eliyahu Kitov
Tu B’Ab is the day of love between man and wife. When HaShem created Adam he was very different from us:
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:27 So God created Adam in his [own] image, in the image of
God created he him; male
and female
created he them.
When HaShem created Adam, he was male and female together. The Sages teach that at this time Adam did not have a backside because the female side was there instead. This was true oneness. This was true harmony.
Tu B’Ab is the opposite of Tisha B’Ab. The baseless hatred that drove our destruction is completely transformed into the ideal love. A love that transcends all petty things and gives freely. That is why all of the events that Chazal speak about with reference to this day, all concern ahavat Israel, love for the people of Israel.
Because of the meaning of this day, many Jews marry on this day, whilst Yom HaKippurrim is the “Wedding day of Israel“. Thus we can understand why Chazal taught that there were no more joyous days than Yom HaKippurim and Tu B’Ab:
Taanit
26b R. Simeon B. Gamaliel said: There never were in
Why on Tu B’Ab?
The Talmud states: Forty days before the formation of the embryo the heavens declare that this soul will be wed to this soul:
Mo’ed
Katan 18b Surely Rab
Forty days before the 25th of Elul (the day of creation according to Rebbe Eliezer) is Tu B’Ab. That is, since the 1st of Tishri is the day of the creation of Adam, by counting backward we find that 25th of Elul is the day of creation of the universe.
Thus, it was on the
Tu B’Ab before creation that Israel became a thought in the divine Mind and
1 Yochanan (John) 3:14-19 “We know that we have passed out of death into
life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not abides in death.
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hereby know
we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. But, whosoever has this world’s goods, and beholds
his brother having, need, and shuts up his tender affections from him, how, is,
the love of G-d, abiding in him? Dear children! Let us not be loving in word,
nor yet with the tongue, but in deed and truth. An by this, shall we get to know, that, of the
truth (Torah), we are, and, before Him, shall persuade our heart”
Tu B’Ab is the
Transformation
Tu B’Ab is the seventh day from the 9th of Ab, corresponding to the completion of the shiva days of mourning. It marks the transformation from the days of mourning to the days of joy. In the future, when the 9th of Ab will become a holiday, Tu B’Ab will be the culmination of festivities, the complete rejoicing of the bride and groom. It is not appreciated as such a great holiday as yet, because its real impact will be in the future.
The Ari HaKadosh (Isaac Luria) explained that the reason for the greatness of Tu B’ab is that it falls on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, and the fifteenth of the month is the night of the full moon. The moon represents the Jewish people, and the rise of the moon represents the rise of the Jewish people. Although every month has a full moon, the rise of the moon in Ab has a special significance. Since the ninth of Ab (Tisha B’Ab) is the most tragic day of the year, the full moon of Ab represents the transformation of tragedy into joy.
Although Torah Study is forbidden on the 9th of Ab, we are told to increase Torah learning from Tu B’Ab and on.
As a seed must undergo decay and destruction in order to reproduce and bear many more seeds, so too must our soul descend in order to ascend. The darkness of the tragedies of Tisha B’Ab was the descent that led to the ascent of Tu B’Ab. “Descent is for the purpose of ascent”. It is after the serious descent of Tisha B’Ab that we can ascend the heights of Tu B’Ab, heights that would otherwise be unachievable.
We sing on Friday nights, in Lecha Dodi, the phrase “the last event was the original intent.” In Jewish teachings, this concept is linked with the idea that the thing which goes wrong first is the source of everything that needs fixing:
|
Tisha B’Ab - Descent |
Tu B’Ab - Ascent |
|
During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the twelve Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding them from entering the Land of Israel. For the next forty years this generation was decreed death on Tisha B’Ab. |
The dying of the generation of the Exodus ceased on Ab 15, this also marked the beginnings of the “ascent” of Ab. A new generation stood poised to enter the land and lay the foundations for renewal. |
|
The |
King Hosea permitted residents of the Northern Kingdom to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, once again. |
|
The Romans, led by Titus
destroyed the |
The manner in which the conclusion of the
wood-cutting for the |
|
The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The city of Betar, the Jews’ last stand against the Romans, was captured and liquidated. Over 100,000 Jews were slaughtered |
Throughout the entire reign of Hadrian, the burial of these people was forbidden. The corpses, although they all lay exposed, miraculously did not decompose. Finally, years later on the 15th of Ab, the bodies were buried, and given the proper respect due to them |
|
The Roman general Turnus Rufus plowed under the |
Marriage between different tribes of Israel was permitted that day. In the desert, a ban on inter-tribal marriage insured that land would not pass out of the hands of the tribe it originally belonged to. |
In a lengthy discourse regarding the destruction of the
Marqos
(Mark) 13:24-27 But in those
days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall,
and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power
and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from the
uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Hakham Shaul also revealed this mystical concept of descent for the purposes of ascent:
Ephesians
4:7-10 But unto every one of us
is given grace according to the measure of the gift of
Mashiach. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up
on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts
unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that
ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill
all things.)
So, when we see tragedies in our live on Tisha B’Ab, take heart and know that this descent will not last forever. In fact, seven days after Tisha B’Ab our ascent reaches its culmination in Tu B’Ab.
For most of us, Tu B’Ab (Fifteenth Ab) is a minor festival that is eclipsed by the intensity of Tisha B’Ab. Without any special commandments, prohibitions or rituals, it seems to pale next to the other holidays.
Tu B’Ab may be a minor festival, yet it has been blessed with several scintillating names that belie its relative insignificance. These names give us a clue as to the positive thrust of the day:
The
The 15th Ab is the last day of planting for the year with reference to the Sabbatical Year and orlah, the status of trees during their first three years.
Trees are not planted within the forty-four days preceding Rosh HaShanah of the seventh year, in order to allow the tree to take root before the New Year. Regarding orlah, if a tree is planted before 16th Ab, then the remaining days before Rosh HaShanah are considered as one of the three years. The fruit is thus prohibited for only two more years.
This is the day when the grape harvest begins in
The
Marriage only within one’s own tribe, though crucial for establishing tribal identity in that first generation, would have left Israel a loose confederation of states and not a unified nation.
A cease-fire that would have left Benjamin
politically associated with the rest of the tribes but still forbade marrying them would have, in effect, still cut off one
tribe from the rest of
Unity after rivalry
The daughters of Zelofchad were from the tribe of Yosef. Their separation from the inheritance of the tribes is additional fallout from the rivalry of the ten brothers and Yosef. The incident with the concubine in Giv’ah was against the tribe of Benjamin. Now Yosef and Benjamin were both the sons of Rachel. These sons had a constant rivalry with the sons of Leah. At stake was the love of Yaaqov. This rivalry separated the sons of Rachel from the sons of Leah. This was true disunity.
Tu B’Ab marks reunifications with the sons of Rachel who had become estranged from the community.
The emphasis of Tu B’Ab is, therefore, an emphasis on unity. On Tu B’Ab, the rivalry between the brothers was ended and true unity of the tribes was established. This unity is a rquirement for the Temple to be built. This unity of the tribes, which is the hallmark of Tu B’Ab, is why the Talmud calls Tu B’Ab the day of the gladness of his heart:
Ta’anit
26b On the day of his espousals, this refers to the day of the giving of the law. And on the day of the gladness of his heart, this refers to the
building of the
After describing the unique celebration of Yom HaKippurim and Tu B’Ab, the Talmud
intertwines the giving of the law and building of the
Rav Zadok Hakohen from
Tu B’Ab allows us to breathe easy after Tisha B’Ab, the worst has passed and it starts to get better. It comes with a message, though, we must counteract the national fragmentation that brought about the destruction of our Temple by celebrating the unity of the Jewish people.
Day of courtship[17]
This name comes from the fact that this was the day that the young women were courted in vineyards as they danced. They danced and were courted because this was a day of purity; purity from sin and purity for marriage.
The Festival of the Lord
Just as Yom HaKippurim is a day of forgiveness, so is Tu B’Ab. Just as the Jewish people are delivered from sin on Yom Kippur and the second tablets of law given on that date, so were the people forgiven on Tu B’Ab for the sin of the Golden Calf.
Consequently, these days were also regarded as days of festivity during which the daughters of the city would go out to dance in the vineyards without any fear of their breaching the fences of modesty. The day was known also as the “Festival of the Lord,” a day on which all was done solely for the sake of Heaven.
The “Day of the Breaking of the Hatchets”
The contribution of wood for the
The last day for cutting the wood for the Altar was 15th Ab each year, since only dry wood not attacked by worms was suitable. After this date, the waning strength of the sun’s rays failed to dry the wood quickly enough before the worms entered and rendered the wood unfit for the Altar.
The last day of the summer, when preparation of altar wood was completed, was therefore a festive day. It came to be called “the day of the hatchets,” since, after that day, there was no need for the hatchets that year.
Taanit 26b R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF
JOY THAN THE FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT.
ON THESE DAYS THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM USED TO WALK OUT IN WHITE GARMENTS
WHICH THEY BORROWED IN ORDER NOT TO PUT TO SHAME ANY ONE WHO HAD NONE. ALL
THESE GARMENTS REQUIRED RITUAL DIPPING. THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM CAME OUT AND
DANCED IN THE VINEYARDS EXCLAIMING AT THE SAME TIME, YOUNG MAN, LIFT UP THINE
EYES AND SEE WHAT THOU CHOOSEST FOR THYSELF. DO NOT SET THINE EYES ON BEAUTY
BUT SET THINE EYES ON [GOOD] FAMILY. GRACE IS DECEITFUL, AND BEAUTY IS VAIN;
BUT A WOMAN THAT FEARETH THE LORD, SHE SHALL BE PRAISED. AND IT FURTHER SAYS,
GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS; AND LET HER WORKS PRAISE HER IN THE GATES.
Taanit 31a ON THESE DAYS THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM etc. Our Rabbis have taught:
The daughter of the king borrows [the garments] from the daughter of the High Priest, the daughter of the High Priest from the daughter of the deputy High Priest, and
the daughter of the deputy High Priest from the daughter of the Anointed for
Battle, and the daughter of the Anointed for Battle from the daughter of an
ordinary priest, and all Israel borrow from one another, so as not to put to
shame any one who may not possess [white garments].
ALL
THE GARMENTS REQUIRE RITUAL DIPPING: R. Eleazar said: Even though they lay
folded in a box.
THE
DAUGHTERS OF
THOSE
OF THEM WHO CAME OF NOBLE FAMILIES EXCLAIMED, ‘YOUNG MAN etc.’ Our Rabbis have
taught: The beautiful amongst them called out, Set your eyes on beauty for the
quality most to be prized in woman is beauty; those of them who came of noble
families called out, Look for [a good] family for woman has been created to
bring up a family; the ugly ones amongst them called out, Carry off your
purchase in the name of Heaven, only on one condition
that you adorn us with jewels of gold.
In earlier times Tu B’Ab was a festival dedicated to young Jewish men and women finding their mates. Even today, the wall posters of Jerusalem announce special Tu B’Ab prayers for finding a match.
These days were also regarded as days of festivity during which the daughters of the city would go out to dance in the vineyards without any fear of their breaching the fences of modesty. The day was known also as the “Festival of the Lord,” a day on which all was done solely for the sake of Heaven.
Since the character of Tu B’Ab is the character of a minor festival, we follow the customs set for all minor festivals.
1. The custom is not to recite tachanun on that day as well as at mincha on the preceding day.
2. Brides and grooms who marry on this day do not fast.
3. It is customary to add periods of Torah study to the nights as well as the days, through the end of winter.
4. It is written in our ethical literature that the fifteenth of Ab is a preface and a beginning to Elul, the month of preparation for judgement, and it is therefore proper for a person to begin to review his actions during the year.[18]
In previous generations, Tu B’Ab was celebrated as a complete festival.
The 15th of Ab is considered as a precursor of the upcoming month of Elul, the month of preparation for judgement. Some people, therefore, when writing letters to friends, add the phrase:
ketivah vechatimah tova
‘May you be inscribed
and sealed for a
good year’
from Tu B’Ab, even though the custom is to do so from the beginning of Elul.
Tu B’Ab marks the change from summer to the hot season:
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XXXIV:11
R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said in R. Meir’s name, and R. Dosa too said thus: [The
latter] half of Tishri, Marheshwan and the first half of Kislew is seedtime; the second half of Kislew, Tebeth and half of
Shebat are the winter months; the second half of Shebat, Adar and the first
half of Nisan are the cold season; the second half of Nisan, Iyar and the first
half of Siwan is harvest time; the second half of Siwan, Tammuz and the
first half of Ab is summer; the second half of Ab, Elul and the first half of
Tishri are the hot season.
The Midrash also lends its wisdom to this holiday:
Midrash Rabbah - Lamentations
Prologue XXXIII R. Zera opened his discourse with the text,
Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them
that weep (Job XXX, 31). Elsewhere we have learnt: R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said:
The Israelites had no greater holidays than the fifteenth of Ab and the Day of Atonement, on which occasions the maidens of Israel used to go out in white garments, borrowed for
the event in order not to put to shame them who possessed none of their own.
All these garments required to be dipped; and in them the maidens of
It is quite right that the Day of Atonement [should be an occasion for dancing]
since it was a day of forgiveness and atonement for
R. Kahana asked Rab: Is it possible
that [Hosea] can have accomplished so much good, and yet it is reported of him,
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, etc. (II Kings XVII, 3)? But
this happened to him because he removed the chain from off his own neck and set it round the necks of the masses, and he did
not say, ‘Let all the people go up and pray,’ but ‘
Let whoever wants to go up do so’.
R. Samuel b. Nahmani (others state
this in the name of R. Samuel b. Isaac): It was the day on which the tribes were permitted to intermarry, for it is said, And
every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in
the tribes of the children of Israel, etc. (Num. XXXVI, 8), and it is written,
So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to
another tribe, etc. (ib. 9). Is it then possible for a daughter to inherit land
belonging to two tribes? Deduce from this statement that her father was of one
tribe and her mother of another.
The Rabbis say: It was the day when
the tribe of Benjamin was allowed to re-enter the
Community; for it is written, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin
(Judg. XXI, 18). R. Johanan said: They cited a text in virtue of which they
brought the tribe near, and they cited a text in virtue of which they repelled
it. They cited a text in virtue of which they brought it near, viz. A nation
and a company of nations shall be of thee (Gen. XXXV, II) and they cited a text
in virtue of which they repelled it, viz. Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben
and Simeon, shall be mine (ib. XLVIII, 5), showing that the Benjamites were not to be reckoned with their
brethren. R. Judah said in the name of Samuel: It was the day when permission
was given to the tribes to intermarry. R. Mathna
said: It was the day when they allowed the slain of Bethar
to be buried.
R. Eliezer the Great said: It is
quite right [to cut the wood for the altar] on the fifteenth of Ab; but from
then onward the power of the sun declines and they do not cut wood for the
altar. R. Menasia remarked: The day was called ‘ the day of breaking the axe’.
From the day onward, whoever increases increases [his years], and whoever does
not increase study decreases [the duration of his life].
R. Abin and R. Johanan said: It was
the day when the grave-digging ceased for those who died in the wilderness. R.
Levi said: On every eve of the ninth of Ab Moses
used to send a herald throughout the camp and announce, ‘Go out to dig graves’;
and they used to go out and dig graves in which they slept. On the morrow he
sent out a herald to announce, ‘Arise and separate the dead from the living.’
They would then stand up and find themselves in round figures 15,000 short of
600,000. In the last of the forty years, they acted
similarly and found themselves in undiminished numerical strength. They said, ‘It
appears that we erred in our calculation’; so they acted similarly on the
nights of the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. When the moon was full they
said, ‘It seems that the Holy One, blessed be He, has annulled that decree from
us all’; so they proceeded to make [the fifteenth] a holiday.
Their sins subsequently caused it to become a day of mourning in this world, in
the twofold destruction of the Temple. That is what
is written, ‘Therefore is my harp turned to mourning, and my pipe into the
voice of them that weep.’ Hence and the people wept that night (Num. XIV, 1). Since they sinned they were exiled; and since they were exiled, Jeremiah
began to lament over them, ‘How sitteth solitary.’
Yeremyahu
(Jeremiah) 31:13 Then shall the
virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn
their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from
their sorrow.
According to the Talmud,[19] the Jewish people used to read through the Torah in three and a half years. Using this reading schedule caused the congregation to read Bamidbar 32:1-42 on the Shabbat before Tu B’Ab and on the Shabbat before Tu B’Shebat. Thus they always read Bamidbar 33:1-56 on the Shabbat after Tu B’Ab and on the Shabbat after Tu B’Shebat. This reading caused these two minor festivals to be linked.[20]
Tu B’Shebat is the masculine festival that is paired with the feminine festival of Tu B’Ab. We can see from the following table that the year can be divided into the spring months and the fall months, as we have seen previously in my study titled rains. When divided this way, we can see that Ab is paired with Shebat. And middle of each month is also a special time on the calendar, as well as being a full moon.
The Midrash states, in Midrash Rabba VaEthanan 31, “Said the Holy One to Israel,
‘My children, all that I have created I created in paired units (zugot). Heaven and earth are a paired unit. The sun and the moon
are a paired unit. Adam and Chava (Eve) are a paired
unit. This world and the incoming world (olam habah) are a paired unit...’”.
Likewise, the Talmud states, in Baba Bathra 74b, “All that the Holy One created in His world He created male and female, even the Leviathan...”.
Rosh HaShana 2a C H A P T E R I MISHNAH. THERE ARE FOUR NEW YEARS. ON THE FIRST OF NISAN IS NEW YEAR FOR KINGS AND FOR FESTIVALS. ON THE FIRST OF ELUL
IS NEW YEAR FOR THE TITHE OF CATTLE. R. ELEAZAR AND R. SIMEON, HOWEVER, PLACE
THIS ON THE FIRST OF TISHRI. ON THE FIRST OF
TISHRI IS NEW YEAR FOR YEARS, FOR RELEASE AND JUBILEE YEARS FOR
|
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Tishri Heshvan Kislev Tevet Shebat Adar |
Nisan Iyar Sivan Tammuz Ab Elul |
|
Tu B’Shebat |
Tu B’Ab |
|
|
|
|
25th of Adar, Adam was concieved. Tu B’Shebat is forty days earlier. |
25th of Elul, Adam was created. Tu B’Ab is forty days earlier. |
|
|
|
Forty is a special value throughout Torah but here it has an additional significance. The Talmud teaches that forty days before physical conception takes place it is “announced in heaven“ the basic characteristics of the soul that is about to come into the world. What the gender of the soul will be is also determined forty days before:
Sotah 2a Rab Judah has said in the name of Rab: Forty days before the creation
of a child, a Bath Kol issues forth and proclaims, The daughter of A is for B;
the house of C is for D; the field of E is for F!
Thus, forty days before the female side of the world comes into existence (the process is always recurring as it states “He renews the creation everyday”) the erect, expanding energy of the masculine tree is releasing its sap and the seed essence of the tree begins rising. Forty days before the male side of the world comes into existence the containing, curved energy of the feminine dance is generating its circle. Tu B’Shebat and Tu B’Ab are the vortex of the cosmic yesod of the world. Forty days before the birth of the world, the divine hormones are released into time to orchestrate HaShem’s calendar.
The first Mishna of Rosh Hashana states that Tu B’shebat is the Rosh HaShana for trees with regard to orlah (that which is cut off). The new year of Tu B’Shebat significantly affects the status of the trees’ fruit. The Torah does not permit fruits from a tree during its first three years of growth. Tu B’Shebat will terminate the third year as it ushers in the fourth, the year the fruits may be eaten. (The produce of the fourth year must be redeemed by transferring the holiness onto a coin before it is eaten.) This takes effect even though three full years (thirty-six months) have not elapsed. Once the tree has lived past three Tu B’Shebats, the tree is considered to be starting its forth year.
It is not sufficient to plant the tree one day before Tu B’Shebat
to qualify for the tree’s transformation to it’s second year with the coming of
Tu B’Shebat. Rather the tree must be planted by the end of the 15th of Ab, Tu B’Ab, to first utilize the Rosh HaShana of Tishrei and only later utilize
the new year of Tu B’Shebat.
This is, because during its first few months this young sapling is not yet
considered a “tree”. By planting forty-four days before Rosh Hashana (Tishrei) the young sapling enters its
second year as a sapling at Rosh HaShana
(Tishrei). Only as a “tree” is it affected by Tu B’Shebat. which
allows the tree to enter a new year as soon as Tu B’Shebat commences. By the third Tu B’Shebat the tree’s
produce which subsequently begins to form, is no longer orlah, and by the fourth it is no
longer the fruit that must be redeemed.
Kabbalist connect the sefirot with the festivals such that Tu B’Shebat and Tu B’Ab are both associated with Yesod:
|
|
Keter (Crown) |
|
|
Binah (Understanding) |
|
Chachmah (Wisdom) |
|
Gevurah (Strength) |
|
Chessed (Mercy) |
|
|
Tiferet (Beauty) Shavuot |
|
|
Hod (Glory) |
|
Netzach (Victory) |
|
|
Yesod (Foundation) Tu B’Ab |
|
|
|
Malkhut (Presence) Messianic era |
|
The fifteenth of the month is a very important time. The number of prominent events on that date is remarkable and not coincidental. Pesach, Succoth, Purim, Tu B’shvat, and Tu B’Ab all fall on the fifteenth. The fifteenth of the Hebrew month is, of course, the full moon, whose waxing and waning is compared to Jewish fortunes throughout history. This idea is expressed during the Kiddush HaLavanah (sactification of the new moon) ceremony. These are days of joy, victory, and completion, times of optimism.
Tisha B’Ab, the saddest day of the year, is joined with Tu B’Ab, one of the most joyfull days of the year, by Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of comfort:
|
Tisha B’Ab |
Shabbat
Nachamu |
Tu B’Ab |
|
Destruction of the |
Comfort |
|
The Talmud tells us that in every
generation when the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as
if we have destroyed it. This refers not merely to the physical
structure of the
Tu B’Ab is the highest day kabbalistically.
A baby concieved on Chanukah would be born on Tu B’Ab.
* * *
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
1101 Surrey Trce SE
Tumwater, WA 98501
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page:
http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
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[1] Many of the ideas of this study were learned from: Yom Tov, Vol. I, # 32. Tu B’Ab: Rejoicing in a Month of Misfortune - Part 1+2, by Rabbi Yehudah Prero.
[2] Tu B’Ab is how Sefardic Jews pronounce this date. Tu B’Av is how Ashkenazi Jews pronounce this date.
[3] “Tammuz” is the Babylonian name of this month, as are all of the “official” names of the months in the Hebrew Calendar. In the Bible, however, the month is referred to as “the Fourth Month,” with reference to Nisan, the First Month.
[4] “Ab” is the Babylonian name of this month, as are all of the “official” names of the months in the Hebrew Calendar. In the Bible, however, the month is referred to as “the Fifth Month,” with reference to Nisan, the First Month. The name Ab literally means “father.” It derives from the root which means “to will” or “to desire.” it is customary to add the name Menachem (“comforter,” “consoler”; the name of Mashiach) -- Menachem Ab.
[5] Nifla’os Hayehudi, p. 85
[6] Old Testament
[7] Taanit 30b-31a
[8] See Numbers 36
[9] See Judges 21
[10] R. Yosef in the name of R. Nachman
[11] Rabba bar bar Channa in the name of R. Yochanan
[12] Ulla
[13] Sukkah 52a
[14] Sukkah 52a
[15] Derech Emunah U’bitachon
[16]
On the 9th of Ab the tribes of Joseph and
Judah were united: When the spies returned only Joshua and Caleb, from the
tribes of Joseph and Judah respectively, remained
steadfast in their desire to enter
[17] Gateway to Judaism, Pg.341
[18] The Book of Our Heritage, Eliyahu Kitov
[19] Megillah 29b
[20] The Jewish Encyclopedia, under the heading “Triennial Cycle“, speaks about the number of sedarim: “The Masoretic divisions known as “sedarim” and variously indicated in the text, number 154 in the Pentateuch, and probably correspond, therefore, to the Sabbath lessons of the triennial system, as was first surmised by Rapoport (“Halikot Ḳedem,” p. 11). The number varies, however, so that Menahem Me’iri reckoned 161 divisions, corresponding to the greatest number of Sabbaths possible in three years; the Yemen grammars andscrolls of the Pentateuch enumerate 167 and the tractate Soferim (xvi. 10) gives the number as 175 (comp. Yer. Shab. i. 1). It is possible that this last division corresponds to a further development by which the whole of the Pentateuch was read twice in seven years, or once in three and a half years.”