Jewish Valentine's Day

Today is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of "Av", a minor holiday known as Tu b'Av or "Jewish Valentine's Day." This day is so unique,  the Talmud describes it like this: 'There were no greater festivals for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out... and dance in the vineyards. ' (Taanit 26b) The fact that Yom Kippur is mentioned seems shocking in 2015 when thinking of the average service, but in days of yore the Temple in Jerusalem opn Yom Kippur and its unique service on that day was a sight to behold. But what's so special about Tu B'av?  

Here are the 6 of the reasons why we celebrate Tu B'av. But why is this day connected to matchmaking, partnering husband and wife?

Some explain, that unlike other holidays, Tu B'Av is connected to the darkness which precedes it. Six days prior. the holy Temple was destroyed on the 9th day of Av (see my CNN interview here :), a month associated with extreme descent. And we know the famous saying of our Sages: The greater the descent in life, the greater the ascent after. Therefore the reunion represented by Tu B'av after such an incredible descent as the destruction of the holy temple only days beforehand is an incredibly powerful one. 

We are also taught that in our lives, marriage isn't just a union between man and woman; it's a reunion. A soul is divided into two halves; one half descends into this world in a male body, the other in a female's body. At some point the joyous reunion of these two estranged halves occurs, when the two finally find each other and reconnect, resulting in intense emotion because it comes from the re-unification of that which was long lost.

On a cosmic level, man and woman are metaphors for G‑d and His people. The soul is one with G-d, essentially of one essence. We too undergo this process of estrangement and reunion as the soul descends to this world to refine and repair it, using a body that doesn't feel a connection to the other half of the soul, G-d. This is a process intended to heighten the love and passion, to bring it to levels unimaginable had we never experienced separation in the first place. The first time our nation was estranged from G‑d was shortly after our betrothal at Mount Sinai when we worshiped a Golden Calf. The reconciliation and redoubled commitment and love occurred on Yom Kippur.

That, however, was a relatively short estrangement. With the destruction of the Temple and the commencement of two millennium of exile, we embarked upon a most painfully long stretch of estrangement. The goal? To ultimately reunite in an amazing reunion with our other half, G-d. The result of this estrangement will be the grandest wedding of all time - the Redemption which will usher in an era of eternal marital bliss. This is what is signified and celebrated on Tu B'av; after the mourning of the temple's destruction, we rebound and see the reason behind the destruction in the first place - the most powerful reconciliation imaginable. 

May we always remember in our lives that events of descent will ultimately be followed by an ascent, and that the moments of feeling distant from G-d can always be followed by a much more powerful reunion.

Shabbat Shalom from Tzfat & a happy Tu B'av to you!