Tu B'Av - 002 Depth of The Festival of Tu B’Av

The Seven-Day “Festival” of Tisha B’Av Through Tu B’Av

Chazal state in Pesikta that “Tisha B’Av is called a festival”, for it is written, “Call it upon Me a festival.”[1] Furthermore, Chazal explain that the “festival” of Tisha B’Av has seven days, just as Pesach and Succos have seven days.

When does the “seven-day festival” of Tisha B’Av conclude? Seven days after Tisha B’Av, it is Tu B’Av (the fifteenth day of the month of Av). Thus, the “festival” begins with Tisha B’Av and ends with Tu B’Av.

Regarding Tu B’Av, Chazal state in the Mishnah that it was one of the greatest festivals of the Jewish people, a day in which the daughters of Jerusalem would go out wearing borrowed white clothing, when they would say, “Choose for yourself a mate, for the sake of Heaven.”[2]

Thus, Tu B’Av is certainly a festival, as we see from the Mishnah; and Chazal are teaching us in the Pesikta that this festival actually begins with Tisha B’Av.

The Festival of Tisha B’Av: The Birth of Moshiach

Let us reflect here a bit, with siyata d’shmaya, into the days between Tisha B’Av and Tu B’Av which are are like a period of “Chol HaMoed.”

Chazal state that Tisha B’Av is the day of the birth of Moshiach. Just as there was a festival in which the Jewish people were born, celebrated on the day when they left Egypt (i.e. Pesach], so is there a festival which celebrates the day of the birth of Moshiach [the festival of the future redemption]. This will be the future festival of Tisha B’Av.

The Root of Tisha B’Av: The Sin of the Spies

Let’s reflect more into the words of the Gemara, so we can better understand these days.

At the end of Tractate Taanis[3], Chazal list five tragedies of Tisha B’Av, the first being that the Spies gave a bad report about Eretz Yisrael and the people cried since it was decreed on the ninth of Av that the generation of the desert would not enter the land.

It is clear that because of this, even their entry into the land of Eretz Yisrael needed a tikkun (correction). They entered it with their faith dampened by the report of the Spies, and this was the root of their eventual exile from the land of Eretz Yisrael. When they were exiled from Eretz Yisrael, they left amidst destruction, just as they entered it amidst a state of ruination.

Thus, the root of Tisha B’Av is in the sin of the generation of the desert when they became discouraged from the report of the Spies. Eretz Yisrael is called Eretz Tovah, the “good land”, but the generation of the desert was called dor raah, “bad generation”, because they were not spiritually fit to enter the land. This ruination occurred on Tisha B’Av, and it was the first tragic event which took place on this day. The second tragic event which took place on Tisha B’Av, many years later, was the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

The Roots of The Future Joy On Tisha B’Av

Let’s reflect. Chazal state that Tisha B’Av will be turned into a complete festival. If Tisha B’Av began with the sin of the Spies’ report, how will this be turned into a festival? How can such a sin be transformed into a reason for celebration? If the root of the ruination began with the sin of the Spies, then the correction for the sin must be somehow contained in this event as well. Where is a hint that that this event will be turned into good for us?

There are several ways how we can see the correction for the sin of the Spies, which is contained in the very event which brought about devastation.

One way how we can see it is that the decree upon the generation not to enter Eretz Yisrael, as a result of the Spies’ report, did not include Yehoshua and Calev, who did not sin with the Spies. Since Yehoshua and Calev merited entering Eretz Yisrael, there was already a root that this sad episode will be transformed to good in the future, because it was a symbol that the entry of the people into Eretz Yisrael contained a rectified aspect. In this way, the eventual destruction that would come to the Beis HaMikdash was therefore not a complete destruction. That is the hint that Tisha B’Av will become a festival.

The Gemara gives several reasons for the festival of Tu B’Av.[4] According to one reason, it was the day when the people in the generation of the desert stopped dying, after the decree not to enter the land was given. As long as people were dying, the Shechinah left Moshe. When the people stopped dying, the Shechinah returned to Moshe. Simply, the Gemara is saying that it was because the Shechinah returned to Moshe. What is the depth of this joy?

The Beis HaMikdash was a place of prayer for all the nations. Calev and Yehoshua were saved from the decree on the generation, in the merit of prayer. Moshe’s prayer for Yehoshua was that he shouldn’t be influenced from the Spies, and Calev himself prayed by the graves of the forefathers in order to be saved from their influences. Therefore, in their merit, the Beis HaMikdash was never completely destroyed. They entered the land due to prayer, and therefore “the house of prayer for all the nations” did not become totally destroyed.

Thus, the Shechinah which returned to Moshe was also in the merit of Yehoshua and Calev who were saved due to prayer and didn’t take part in the sin of the Spies. In their merit, there will be a future Beis HaMikdash – the house of prayer for all the nations. That meant that even after there will be destruction of the first and second Beis HaMikdash, there will be a third Beis HaMikdash that will be forever, which will be a house of prayer for the entire world. Since Calev and Yehoshua didn’t sin, they did not have a part in the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, and this contains an aspect of an eternal Beis HaMikdash in their merit.

Who else didn’t die, due to the sin of the Spies? The Gemara says that those younger than 20 or older than 60 weren’t part of the decree to die in the desert. What is the depth behind the fact that those younger than 20 and those older than 60 weren’t part of the decree? We find that when the Jewish people were counted in the desert, those younger than 20 and those older than 60 were not part of the count. The Sages state that “Blessing does not settle, only upon something unseen by the eye.” When something is counted, it has been ‘seen’, so blessing cannot settle upon it, because blessing can only descend upon something which cannot be seen.

Thus the decree wasn’t on those younger than 20 and older than 60, because they could not be affected by ayin hara, since they weren’t counted. Those who were decreed to die in the desert were part of those who were called the “bad generation” who could be affected by ayin hara. 

In summation, one of the roots of how Tisha B’Av will be a festival in the future is due to the prayers of Calev and Yehoshua, and another reason is because there were people younger than 20 and older than 60, who didn’t die in the desert along with the rest of the generation. In either case, we see that there were those in the generation of the desert who weren’t part of the decree, who were allowed the entry into Eretz Yisrael, and this showed that the entry to Eretz Yisrael contained an aspect of completion.

This paved the roots of the eternal Beis HaMikdash of the future, when Tisha B’Av will be turned into a festival.

The Tribe of Levi – The Point Amidst Exile That Is Not In Exile

The tribe of Levi merited to leave Egypt and also enter Eretz Yisrael. They also were not part of the decree, and therefore they were not a part of the reason for the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

What was the merit of the tribe of Levi? Not only did they merit to enter Eretz Yisrael, but they were never part of the exile in Egypt to begin with. All the rest of the Jewish people were in Egypt and did not enter Eretz Yisrael, and this was a subtle way of being ‘left behind’ in Egypt. Since they were still “in Egypt” (demonstrated by their sin with the golden calf ) they were not on the spiritual level to enter Eretz Yisrael.

But the tribe of Levi was never in the exile of Egypt, and their entry into Eretz Yisrael was because they were never in Egypt.

The tribe of Levi were spread out in Eretz Yisrael and they did not have a portion in the Land of their own. They didn’t either take part in the sin of serving the golden calf. On a deeper level, they knew what their real avodah was whichwas entirely different than any of the other tribes.

The root of all the exiles was Egypt. Then there were the exiles of Babylonia, Persia-Media, and Greece. Now there is the exile of Edom/Rome [Western society], which contains the exile of Yishmael, and within it, the exile of the “Erev Rav” [the Mixed Multitude].[5]

But the tribe of Levi was never part of the root of the exile, which was in Egypt. This reveals that there is always a point even within exile that isn’t part of the exile. The entry of the tribe of Levi into Eretz Yisrael showed that there is always a tribe of the Jewish people which is not part of the exile.

The tribe of Levi whose role is to remain dedicated to learning Torah, whether they were in Egypt or in Eretz Yisrael is not part of the exile. This does not mean that they weren’t part of the exile at all, but to a certain extent, they were not part of the exile, because they weren’t in bondage there. This shows us that even within exile, there is a point which isn’t part of the exile and which remains apart from it.

The Revelation of Tu B’Av: There Is Always Torah In Our Exile

Now we can better understand what the “festival” of Tu B’Av is. The Gemara explains that from Tu B’Av and onward, the sun begins to weaken, so the daytime is decreased and the nights become longer, and from then on, a person can increase his Torah study.[6] This is related to the fact that night time is the main time for Torah study, as the Rambam states,[7] that nighttime is when a person acquires most of his Torah wisdom. Thus, Tu B’Av is a revelation of more Torah.

This connection between Tu B’Av and increased time for Torah learning is also related to the connection between Tu B’Av and the tribe of Levi, as explained above, who merited to enter Eretz Yisrael because they were never in the exile of Egypt since they only learned Torah. It is written, “For from Zion comes forth Torah, and the word of Hashem, from Jerusalem.”[8] The Torah comes forth from Eretz Yisrael, and Yerushalayim specifically, due to the merit of the tribe of Levi, who always learned Torah, even amidst the root exile, Egypt. The Torah in Eretz Yisrael is in their merit, and this is the depth behind why the mourning of Tisha B’Av will be turned into joy in the future – it is because there was always a tribe of Levi who were always learning Torah, even amidst the very root of the exile.

Tu B’Av – The Rectification of the Idol of Michah

The Jewish people had to cross the Yam Suf in order to enter into Eretz Yisrael, and the depth of this is that they had to cross over into Eretz Yisrael by leaving behind completely any influences from Egypt. Crossing the Yam Suf was supposed to be a complete separation of the Jewish people from Egypt, so that they could be spiritually fit to enter into Eretz Yisrael on the other side. But most of those who crossed the sea didn’t merit entering the land of Eretz Yisrael, and this was because they were carrying “the idol of Michah” with them, which was brought from Egypt.

This idol of Michah that they brought with them was the root of all the disasters (the sin with the golden calf, the sin of the Spies, the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash) that would occur later.

We mentioned earlier the words of the Pesikta, which teaches that the festival Tu B’Av begins with Tisha B’Av, making it a seven-day festival. What is the root of a seven-day festival? Pesach and Succos each have seven days. On Pesach, specifically on the seventh day of Pesach (shvii shel Pesach), the Jewish people crossed the sea. But on this great day, when they crossed the sea so that they could leave behind Egypt, receive the Torah 50 days later, and soon enter into Eretz Yisrael, the idol of Michah was with them.

Their bringing the idol of Michah with them as they crossed the sea was the root of all the sins of the generation of the desert, which ultimately led to all sins afterwards. This, in turn, lead to the decree to die in the desert and not to enter Eretz Yisrael. The sin with the Spies was only the outcome of this, but the root of the ruination began on the seventh day of Pesach, when they crossed the sea with the idol of Michah. So it was this event which prevented them entering Eretz Yisrael later on.

The “festival” of Tu B’Av came along and turned this decree into joy. How so? The Mishnah states “There were no greater festivals for the Jewish people than Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur.”[9] What is the connection between Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur was when the sin with the Golden Calf was rectified. On Tu B’Av, their sin with the idol of Michah was rectified, similar to the rectification of the sin with golden calf. The idol of Michah was present before the golden calf, so the idol of Michah was the root of their sin with the golden calf.

Thus, Tu B’Av, which rectified their sin with the idol of Michah, was a rectification of the root of the sin with the golden calf. Whereas Yom Kippur rectified the sin with the golden calf in the active sense, Tu B’Av rectifies the root of the sin with the golden calf - the idol of Michah.

Tu B’Av – Revealing The Power of Ahavas Chinam/Pure Love

Now we can understand better about the “seven-day festival” that lasts from Tisha B’Av through Tu B’Av.

Tisha B’Av is about destruction and separation, whereas Tu B’Av is about connection. [On Tisha B’Av, we mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, which caused us to be separated from the true, Eretz Yisrael of old, and which was also caused by separation, the sin of baseless hatred which was prevalent then.] However, on Tu B’Av, the girls of Jerusalem would go out and look for a marriage partner, and they would call to others to choose wisely whom they should marry. This personifies connection.

In simpler terms which apply to the soul, Tisha B’Av reveals the soul’s power of “hatred”, whereas Tu B’Av reveals the soul’s power of “love”. The “seven day festival” that spans Tisha B’Av through Tu B’Av begins with revealing the soul’s force of “hatred” – represented by the day of Tisha B’Av, where we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem [and of our ‘hated’ state] - and ends with the soul’s force of “love”, represented by the day of “Tu B’Av”.

Tu B’Av – The Day That Commemorates The Absolute Level of Achdus/Unity In The Future

Chazal state that “Holiness (kedushah) begins with separation and ends with unity, [whereas] the Other Side of evil (the Sitra Achara) begins with unity, but ends with separation.” We began this exile with separation, spread out among the nations throughout the world - but we end with Tu B’Av, a state of unity. The borrowed white clothing which was worn on the day of Tu B’Av (in the times of the Gemara) was to show the unity (achdus) amongst everyone, to reveal the point of equality (hishtavus) amongst everyone, which was reflected in the fact that everyone wore the same thing.

The festivals of Pesach, Shavuos and Succos do not begin with separation, but with unity. These three festivals begin with the exodus from Egypt, when there was unity. These festivals, which commemorate the exile from Egypt, ended in separation, when we became separated from Eretz Yisrael. However, the ‘festival’ of Tisha B’Av, which ends on Tu B’Av, begins with separation and ends with unity. It starts from destruction and separation, the tragic day of Tisha B’Av, and ends with Tu B’Av, a day of the absolute level of achdus, unity.

The depth of this is because Egypt, which is the root of the “world of separation” (alma d’piruda), is called Mitzrayim, which is from the word meitzar (confines), from the word tzaar (pain), which implies narrowness and separation. The three festivals of Pesach, Shavuos and Succos commemorate our exodus from Egypt, which was the place of separation. In contrast, Tu B’Av, as we explained here, commemorates the eventual entry into Eretz Yisrael, which is the place of unity. It symbolizes the fact that the Jewish people left a place of separation, Egypt, in order to enter into a place of unity, Eretz Yisrael. The fact that the people left Egypt to enter Eretz Yisrael was a way of leaving behind the alma d’piruda, the “world of separation to enter into the dimension of absolute achdus/unity.

Pesach, Shavuos and Succos are called shalosh regalim, which means “three feet”, but just as a person with three feet will not be able to walk properly and get to his goal, the three festivals do not bring a person to his ultimate goal. Only the “festival” of Tisha B’Av, which ends with Tu B’Av, is the festival that ultimately leads one to entering Eretz Yisrael. 

Thus, Tisha B’Av is the “festival of the future”. The festivals we have now – Pesach, Shavuos and Succos - commemorate the exodus of Egypt. But we haven’t yet fully entered Eretz Yisrael, because the entry into the land of Eretz Yisrael was incomplete and it contained sin, and therefore our joy was not yet complete. The “festival” of Tisha B’Av, which will in the future end with the “festival” of Tu B’Av, is the festival that celebrates a true entry into Eretz Yisrael, which will be eternal.

Thus, the Sages said there were no better festivals for the Jewish people than Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av. The depth of Tu B’Av is because it is a joy that celebrates the time when we will all enter Eretz Yisrael [cleansed from sin] and we will stay there forever, never again being exiled from it.

Tu B’Av – The Revelation That The Beis HaMikdash Was Never Destroyed

Thus, since Tu B’Av is a celebration about the fact that there is always a point within our exile that is not part of the exile, it is a revelation that the Beis HaMikdash was never truly destroyed.

The firsttwo Holy Temples were destroyed only to those who were “exiled” from Eretz Yisrael. They never truly ‘entered’ Eretz Yisrael due to the sins which caused the destructions of the Holy Temples, including the sin of baseless hatred.[10] If one is free from the sins that caused the destruction of the two Holy Temples, then he has uncovered the soul’s power of ahavas chinam (loving others freely without judgement). If one has merited to truly “enter” Eretz Yisrael” by uncovering the power of ahavas chinam, then one is “in the state” of the third Beis HaMikdash, which is eternal and can never be destroyed.

When the third Beis HaMikdash will descend from Heaven onto this earth[11], there will be a revelation that the first two Batei Mikdash were never actually destroyed, and that the entire destruction was nothing but a dream. This is the depth of what we will express in the future, “Then, we were like dreamers”[12] – that this exile is really one long nightmare which we will arise from, and we will realize in the future that it was all a ‘dream’. The Beis HaMikdash is ‘destroyed’ only in our dreamlike state - but when we come out of this long sleep-like state, it will be revealed that there never was a ‘destruction’ in the first place! The Beis HaMikdash was never truly destroyed!

When Moshiach comes, speedily in our days, and he reveals the third Beis HaMikdash, he will reveal that there was never a destruction, because the third Beis HaMikdash has always been in Heaven, where it will indeed descend from. Thus, the actual Beis HaMikdash, the one that is forever which has always been Heaven – which we know as “the third Beis HaMikdash” - was never actually destroyed.

This is the deeper meaning of “All who mourn Jerusalem, will see it rebuilt.”[13]  One who mourns it properly will see it ‘rebuilt’ in its time in the sense that for him, the Beis HaMikdash was never destroyed.

This is essentially the “festival” of the seven days between Tisha B’Av and Tu B’Av. One who merits to leave behind the state of baseless hatred, and to leave all of “Egypt” behind, and to fully “enter Eretz Yisrael”, to go from the state of separation to the state of absolute unity - is one who reveals the level that is the depth of the verse “Bone of my bones” [which refers to the intrinsic connection we have with HaKadosh Baruch Hu, described as our connection with His atzmiyus, His essence, as it were). This is to uncover the soul’s power of true ahavas chinam - and this, itself, reveals how the Beis HaMikdash was never truly destroyed.

When the festival of Tisha B’Av is revealed in the future, it will not just be a festival ‘from then onward’. Rather, it will reveal retroactively that Tisha B’Av had been a festival all along! That light shines even now, in our current time, in these days, where there is a light of the future complete festival, where the Beis HaMikdash stands in its fully glory, just as it has been all along….