Tu B’Av: The Seven Joyous Events of the Fifteenth of Av

The 15th of Av (Tu B’Av) is one of the happiest days in the Jewish calendar. The Mishnah famously declares:

“There were no greater festivals for Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur.” (Ta’anit 26b)

At first glance, the comparison is surprising. Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the year, while Tu B’Av occurs only six days after Tisha B’Av, the national day of mourning. Yet the Sages explain that both days celebrate reconciliation between God and Israel: Yom Kippur commemorates the forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf, while Tu B’Av marks the completion of the atonement for the sin of the Spies.

The Talmud records seven historic events that made Tu B’Av a day of exceptional joy.

1. The Daughters of Jerusalem Danced in the Vineyards

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel taught:

“There were no greater festivals for Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out dressed in borrowed white garments and dance in the vineyards.”

The young women purposely borrowed identical white dresses so that rich and poor would appear alike, preventing embarrassment. As they danced, they called to the young men:

“Young man, lift up your eyes and choose wisely.”

Matches were made based on character and virtue rather than wealth or social status. Thus Tu B’Av became known as a day dedicated to building Jewish homes and strengthening the unity of the Jewish people.

2. The Generation of the Wilderness Stopped Dying

Following the sin of the Spies (Numbers 13–14), God decreed that the adult generation that had left Egypt would die during the forty years in the wilderness, and only their children would enter the Land of Israel.

Each year on the Ninth of Av, those destined to die would prepare themselves. During the fortieth year, however, no one died. Unsure whether they had miscalculated the date, they waited several more days. When the full moon appeared on the 15th of Av, they realized that the decree had finally ended.

This marked God’s complete forgiveness for the sin of the Spies and the emergence of a new generation ready to enter the Land of Israel. The Sages add that once this generation had passed, God once again spoke to Moses with the affectionate closeness that had been absent during those years.

3. The Tribes Were Permitted to Intermarry

After the daughters of Zelophehad inherited land (Numbers 36), a temporary law required female heirs to marry within their own tribe so that tribal inheritances would remain intact during the initial division of the Land.

Once the conquest and settlement were completed, this restriction was lifted on Tu B’Av. Jews from different tribes could once again marry freely, strengthening national unity and emphasizing that although Israel consisted of twelve tribes, it remained one people.

4. The Tribe of Benjamin Was Readmitted

Following the tragic episode of the Concubine at Giv’ah (Judges 19–21), the other tribes swore not to allow their daughters to marry members of the tribe of Benjamin.

The consequence nearly led to Benjamin’s extinction.

On Tu B’Av, the nation recognized that preserving one of the twelve tribes was essential. They ruled that the original oath applied only to the generation that had made it, allowing Benjamin to rejoin the nation through marriage.

This reconciliation restored the unity of Israel after one of its darkest internal conflicts.

5. Hoshea ben Elah Reopened the Roads to Jerusalem

After King Solomon’s reign, the kingdom split into:

• The Kingdom of Judah in the south.
• The Kingdom of Israel in the north.

King Jeroboam feared that pilgrimages to Jerusalem would weaken his political power, so he blocked the roads leading to the Holy Temple and established alternative centers of idol worship in Dan and Bethel.

More than two centuries later, Hoshea ben Elah, the final king of the northern kingdom, removed these roadblocks on Tu B’Av, allowing his subjects to once again travel to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals.

Although the kingdom soon fell to Assyria, this act represented a significant step toward healing the division among the Jewish people.

6. The Dead of Betar Were Buried

During the Bar Kochba Revolt, the fortress city of Betar fell to the Romans on Tisha B’Av in 135 CE. Tens of thousands of Jews were massacred, and the Romans cruelly forbade their burial.

Years later, on Tu B’Av, permission was finally granted to bury the victims. Even more remarkably, tradition relates that the bodies had not decomposed during the intervening years.

To commemorate these twin miracles:

• that the bodies remained preserved (“He is good”), and
• that burial was finally permitted (“and does good”),

the Sages added the fourth blessing of Birkat HaMazon, Hatov VeHaMeitiv (“Who is good and does good”).

7. The Completion of the Temple Wood Offering (“The Day of the Breaking of the Ax”)

The Temple altar required a constant supply of dry, worm-free wood.

Because damp winter conditions caused wood to become infested with worms, all the wood needed for the coming year had to be gathered before the summer ended.

The final day for cutting and collecting wood was Tu B’Av. Once the annual supply had been completed, the workers celebrated the successful fulfillment of this sacred task.

The day became known as “Yom Tavar Magal”—the Day of the Breaking of the Ax, because the axes used for cutting wood were ceremonially put aside, symbolizing the completion of the mitzvah.

The Meaning of Tu B’Av

Taken together, these seven events reveal a common theme. Tu B’Av is a celebration of:

• Forgiveness after sin.
• National unity after division.
• The preservation of the Jewish people.
• The rebuilding of families.
• Renewed access to God’s presence.
• The continuation of Temple service.
• Hope after tragedy.

For this reason, the Sages compared Tu B’Av to Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur celebrates reconciliation between God and Israel after the Golden Calf, while Tu B’Av celebrates reconciliation after the sin of the Spies and many later moments of national healing.

Because of its festive character, Tachanun is omitted, eulogies are not delivered, and a bride and groom marrying on Tu B’Av do not fast.

Tu B’Av also serves as a bridge between the mourning of Tisha B’Av and the spiritual preparation for Elul and the High Holy Days. As the days begin to shorten and the nights lengthen, Jewish tradition sees this time as an opportunity for deeper reflection, renewed relationships, and preparation for the coming Days of Awe.

In this sense, Tu B’Av is far more than the “Jewish Valentine’s Day” of popular culture. It is a profound celebration of forgiveness, unity, love, and the enduring renewal of the Jewish people.

Sources

This article is based on the following works:

• Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Practical Judaism (Feldheim Publishers), “7 Joyous Events That Happened on the 15th of Av,” as published on Aish.com: The Meaning of Tu B’Av.
• Rabbi Yanki Tauber, “Seven Historical Events on the 15th of Av,” published by Chabad.org.
• To read the remarkable story of my grandfather’s life—including how he met and married my grandmother—see The Chasid Who Did Not Surrender–“The Chilling Story of Rabbi Chaim Rizel zt”l.”