"Your b'av the beginning of great joys"
What is Tu Vai? And why is this day associated with love?
This day is called "Tu v'Av", since the Hebrew letters for this date are Tav-Vav (15th day of the month of Av). This day has a festive character, and recalls a series of happy events in Jewish history:
-It is the day when the desert generation stopped dying.
-It is the day on which marriage between members of different tribes was permitted (after the division of the Land of Israel)
-It is the day on which the prohibition of marrying anyone from the tribe of Benjamin was repealed after the incident of the concubine of En Givah (Judges 20-21)
-It is the day that Hoshea Ben Eilah (King of Israel) removed the guards that Yarovam Ben Nevat had placed to prevent people from ascending to Jerusalem during the pilgrimage festivities.
-It is the day when people stopped cutting wood for the altar.
-It is the day the martyrs of Beitar were buried.
In previous generations, the 15th of Av was celebrated as a full holiday. Now that the Beit Hamikdash is in ruins, and many of the holidays recorded in Megillat Taanit have ceased to be celebrated, our rejoicing finds its main expression "In the Study of the Torah."
As our Sages taught (Berachot 8A) "Since the Beit Hamikdahs were destroyed, Hashem only has the four amot (four cubits) of Halacha, as a dwelling place.
The destruction of the temples had no effect on the Torah, therefore, even after the destruction, "The commandments of Hashem are righteous and bring joy to the heart" (Psalms 19:8), In the same way they practiced Torah Study before, until now, therefore it is customary to add more hours of Torah Study at night from now on.
(Excerpts from Sefer haTodah)
May our joy continue! May we be part of more events like those that took place on Tu'V Av, and may all singles soon find their soulmate!
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