163 Ahuza Street, Raanana, ISRAEL -- Telephone: (972) - 9 - 7717080
TU B'AV
ISRAEL'S HOLIDAY OF LOVE
From Biblical days, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av has been celebrated as the Holiday of Love and affection. In Israel, it has become in many ways the holiday of flowers, for on this day it is the custom to give a gift of flowers to the one you love. In 2000, the holiday falls on Wednesday, August 16th.
On this day in the Bible, the 12 tribes were allowed to intermarry for the first time with each other (Num, 36:8ff). Previously, people were allowed to marry only with people from within their own tribe. In a way, it was a bit similar to the old caste system in India. The 15th of Av became the Holiday of Love, and the rest is history.
The Holiday of Love was a recognized Jewish holiday during the days of the Second Temple. According to the Mishnah, on this day the daughters of Jerusalem dressed in white clothes and went forth to dance in the vinyards chanting songs (Ta'an, 4:8, Talmud Bavli).
This was also the day of the wood offering when all people brought kindling wood for the Temple alter (Book of Nehemiah, 10:35). This festival was instituted by the Pharisees who celebrated their victory over the Sedducees on this day.
There are other reasons given to account for the Holiday of Love. It was on this day that the Benjamites were readmitted into the community (the Book of Judges, 21:18ff). On this day, the last king of the Israelite kingdom, Hosea ben Elah, removed the checkposts which Keroboam I installed to prevent the Israelites from making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. From this we can infer that the Holiday of Love also was a holiday of brotherly love.
The Talmud gives an additional and rather curious reason for the importance attached to this day. From this day onward no more wood was chopped for the Temple because the sun was no longer strong enough to dry it (Talmud: Ta'an, 30b-31a; Talmudic tractate 121a-b; Jerusalem Talmud Ta'an 4:11, 69c).
Does this mean that there was a sudden and drastic climate change? If the sun was no longer strong enough to dry wood, then a thick haze had formed which was blocking the sun's rays. The earth would have cooled (at least in the area of Biblical Israel). However, we may never know the answer to this intrigueing question.
In Biblical times, the Holiday of Love was celebrated by torches and bonfires. In modern day Israel, it is the accepted custom to send a bouquet of red roses to the one you love, or to your closest relatives. The significance and importance of the holiday has increased in recent years. Romantic songs are played on the radio and 'Holiday of Love' parties are held in the evening throughout the country. -- But the most important symbol of this holiday, is a bouquet of red roses.
... Click for next page ...
Table of Contents
Prices
Order Form