Summary of the day

Tu BeAv (the 15th of Av) is a joyous day coming just six days after Tisha BeAv. The Mishnah says: “There were no better days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, when the daughters of Jerusalem went out in borrowed white garments… and danced in the vineyards” (Ta’anit 4:8). Today it is regarded as a “festival of love”, a suitable day for matches and engagements.

Mitzvot and customs of the day

• No Tachanun and no fasting.
• Joy: dancing, singing and family gatherings.
• Blessing “a good writing and sealing”: in some customs people begin wishing each other this from this day.
• Increased learning: from today the nights grow longer, and people increase their study.

Origin in history

The Talmud (Ta’anit 30b) gives several reasons for the day: (1) the tribes were permitted to intermarry, after the restriction in the days of Zelophehad’s daughters; (2) the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to marry into the other tribes, after the affair of the concubine at Gibeah; (3) the desert generation died each year on the Ninth of Av; in the last year, when they saw the full moon on the 15th, they understood that the decree had ended; (4) the roads for pilgrimage were opened, after the blockade of Jeroboam; (5) the cutting of wood for the Temple altar ended, and so they celebrated on this day. The day is also tied to the full moon, with light all night.

The message for today

Between Tisha BeAv and Tu BeAv only six days pass: from mourning to love. The feeling is that the destruction is healed by connection between people, because baseless hatred destroys and love builds. The “borrowed” white garments teach that no one was shamed: rich and poor wore the same. And this day, with a full moon and light, reminds us that real connection begins with honesty and respect.