Tu B'Av Explained: Why the Fifteenth of Av Is Judaism's Festival of Love and Forgiveness

The month of Av is traditionally regarded as one of the most difficult periods in the Jewish calendar. As the Mishnah teaches, "When the month of Av begins, joy is diminished" (Ta'anit 4:6). Beginning with Rosh Chodesh Av, the Jewish people observe various customs of mourning that intensify as Tisha B'Av approaches, commemorating the destruction of both Holy Temples. Some of these mourning practices even continue into the following day, when the Temple continued to burn.

Yet, only a week later, the atmosphere changes dramatically. The fifteenth day of Av, known as Tu B'Av, is described by the Sages with remarkable words: "There were no greater festivals for Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur" (Ta'anit 4:8). What makes Tu B'Av such a joyous day? Why is it compared to Yom Kippur? And why has it become known as the Jewish Festival of Love?

The Day the Generation of the Wilderness Ceased to Die

Following the Exodus from Egypt, Moses sent twelve spies to scout the Land of Israel. When they returned on Tisha B'Av, ten of them delivered a frightening report that caused the nation to lose faith. The people regretted leaving Egypt, feared entering the Promised Land, and forgot the many miracles that had accompanied them throughout their journey. Most importantly, they failed to trust God's promise that He would bring them safely into the land.

As a result, God decreed that the generation that had left Egypt would wander in the wilderness for forty years until every adult of that generation had died.

According to the Talmudic tradition, each year on the eve of Tisha B'Av, Moses instructed the people to dig graves for themselves. They lay down in those graves overnight, and every year approximately 15,000 people did not rise the following morning.

In the fortieth year, the final 15,000 members of that generation prepared themselves in the same way. Yet when morning arrived, every one of them was alive. Assuming they had miscalculated the date, they returned to their graves the following night, and then the next, continuing until the fifteenth of Av, when the full moon made it clear that Tisha B'Av had already passed.

Only then did they realize that the decree had ended.

Tu B'Av therefore symbolizes the day on which God fully forgave Israel for the sin of the spies. In this respect, it closely parallels Yom Kippur, the day on which God forgave the nation for the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the second Tablets. Both days celebrate forgiveness, reconciliation, and the renewal of Israel's relationship with its Creator.

The Day Tribal Marriage Restrictions Were Lifted

During Moses' lifetime, the daughters of Zelophehad approached him after their father died without sons, requesting the right to inherit his portion of the land. Their request was granted, but they were instructed to marry within their own tribe so that tribal inheritances would not pass from one tribe to another.

Many generations later, following the tragic events surrounding the Concubine of Gibeah, recorded in the Book of Judges, the tribes of Israel swore not to allow their daughters to marry men from the tribe of Benjamin.

These two restrictions caused great hardship. One threatened the survival of an entire tribe, while the other limited the marriage choices of women who had inherited family property.

Eventually, the Sages determined that the restriction placed upon heiresses applied only to the generation that divided the land, when preserving tribal inheritances was essential. Likewise, they ruled that the oath against marrying into the tribe of Benjamin applied only to the generation that had sworn it, not to future generations.

The day these prohibitions were lifted was Tu B'Av, adding two more reasons for celebration. Since Tu B'Av shares with Yom Kippur the theme of forgiveness and spiritual renewal, the Sages instituted the famous custom of the daughters of Jerusalem dancing in the vineyards while seeking suitable marriage partners. These gatherings were conducted with dignity and pure intentions, aimed solely at building faithful Jewish homes.

After the destruction of the Temple and the decline in the nation's spiritual state, this beautiful custom was discontinued.

The Day the Roads to Jerusalem Were Reopened

When Jeroboam son of Nebat established the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he feared that his subjects would continue making pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem. To secure his political power, he established centers of idol worship and stationed guards along the roads leading to Jerusalem, preventing the people from fulfilling the pilgrimage festivals.

These roadblocks remained in place until the reign of King Hoshea son of Elah, who removed the guards and restored free access to Jerusalem.

The day those barriers were removed was Tu B'Av.

The Completion of the Wood Offering

When Ezra, Nehemiah, and the returning exiles came back to the Land of Israel, they found it desolate. The forests had been destroyed, leaving insufficient wood for the Temple altar.

Volunteers undertook the dangerous task of supplying wood for the Temple. They often traveled great distances and risked confrontation with hostile guards who attempted to block their efforts. According to the Sages, some disguised their wood beneath baskets presented as first fruits, while others constructed makeshift ladders from the timber, claiming they were retrieving birds from dovecotes. Once they passed the guards, they dismantled the ladders and delivered the wood to the Temple.

The Wood Offering became a cherished act of devotion, celebrated with the same joy and honor as the bringing of the first fruits.

Not every tree was suitable for the altar. Damp or worm-infested wood could not be used. Because freshly cut wood required months to dry before the rainy season, enough wood had to be gathered while the summer sun remained strong.

By Tu B'Av, the Temple's storage facilities had been filled with dry wood for the coming winter. The day became known as "The Day of Breaking the Axes," symbolizing that the annual task of wood gathering had been successfully completed.

The Burial of the Victims of Betar

Following the failure of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, the city of Betar was conquered, and its inhabitants were massacred with extraordinary cruelty. The Romans refused to permit their burial, leaving the bodies exposed as a warning to others.

Only after the death of Emperor Hadrian did a new ruler allow the victims to be buried.

Two miracles were associated with this event. First, permission for burial was finally granted. Second, despite the lengthy delay, the bodies had not decomposed.

To commemorate these miracles, the Sages instituted the fourth blessing of Grace After Meals, HaTov VeHaMeitiv. "HaTov" ("Who is good") thanks God for allowing the victims to be buried, while "HaMeitiv" ("Who does good") commemorates the miracle that their bodies remained preserved.

Remarkably, the burial of the victims of Betar also took place on Tu B'Av.

The Festival of Love

A common thread unites all of these events: forgiveness, reconciliation, renewed relationships, and restored unity.

God showed mercy to Israel by ending the decree against the generation of the wilderness. He honored the victims of Betar with a miraculous preservation until they could receive proper burial. The barriers preventing pilgrims from approaching the Temple were removed, allowing the people to draw close to their Creator once again. The restrictions separating the tribes were lifted, enabling new families to be established throughout Israel. The Temple's service was strengthened through the joyful completion of the annual wood offering.

Tu B'Av thus became a celebration of genuine love: God's love for His people, Israel's renewed closeness to God, and the strengthening of relationships between one person and another.

Tu B'Av Today

Although Tu B'Av was once celebrated as a major festival, many of its original observances ceased after the destruction of the Temple. Nevertheless, its spirit continues to live on.

Beginning on Tu B'Av and continuing throughout the winter months, Jewish tradition encourages increasing Torah study during the longer evenings. The Sages compared nighttime Torah study to the Temple service, describing it as a spiritual offering that brings divine blessing into the world.

Even today, Tu B'Av retains the status of a minor festival. Tachanun is omitted from the prayers, and brides and grooms marrying on that day do not fast, unlike the customary practice before a wedding.

Tu B'Av also marks the beginning of a period of spiritual preparation leading toward the High Holy Days. In earlier generations, some communities even began exchanging wishes for a "good inscription and sealing" from Tu B'Av onward, much as we do today during the month of Elul.

A well-known gematria notes that the Hebrew phrase Ketivah VaChatimah Tovah ("A good inscription and sealing") has the same numerical value as Chamishah Asar B'Av ("The Fifteenth of Av"), highlighting the symbolic connection between Tu B'Av and the season of repentance.

May we merit to celebrate Tu B'Av this year with complete joy. May all of our people return safely home. May suffering, violence, and sorrow come to an end. May the love and unity that emerge during times of hardship continue to grow and flourish. And may we soon witness the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and once again experience the closeness of God's Presence in our midst.

Amen.