15th of Av Essays

They will empower your relationship with your spouse — and with G-d.

The young women of Jerusalem had their priorities straight, and called upon the young men to focus on what is truly important.

A list of the joyous events that occurred on the 15th of Av, as detailed by the sages of the Talmud.

The souls of Israel include “beautiful” souls, souls “of prestigious lineage,” and “ugly” souls, each of whom contribute their own unique dimension to our relationship with G‑d.

Commitment and love are the two most basic components of marriage, and they are the foundation of our relationship with G‑d too. This concept explains the joyous nature of the Tu B’Av holiday.

A desert decree revoked . . . a marriage ban lifted . . . 600 survivors go wife-hunting . . . roadblocks to Jerusalem removed . . . Betar dead buried . . . What is the connection between all of these events?

Examining the events that occurred on the 15th of Av, it seems that none of them—and even the combination of them all—seems to justify the establishment of a holiday that outshines all others!

In life we have challenges, and these challenges bring you either closer or further apart.

Two of the most basic of shapes, yet two extremely deep and complex ideas. Feminine and masculine. The circle and the line . . .

My Hebrew birth date is the 15th of Av, Tu b'Av-- a joyous occasion representing the ending of many poignant events in our history, and therefore representative of many new beginnings. To me this is indeed auspicious as there is a certain thread linking all of these events together...

Tu B’Av, a day of rejoicing, a day of love, a day on which evil decrees were lifted and miraculous events occurred, is preceded six days earlier by Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the year, on which the First and Second Temples were destroyed, among other calamities. This interval of time is so short that one could view these events as being interconnected . . .

What is so special about the 15th of Av?