Today, the 15th of Av in the Jewish calendar, or Tu B'Av, is "destined for engagements and marriages," according to Jewish tradition. A record number of weddings were registered in the Jerusalem Rabbinate last night - 33 - and another 24 couples will be married today. Although the day has been secularized to a degree - some even call it Jewish Valentine's Day - it has been rooted in Jewish tradition for 3,300 years.
The Mishna explains that on this day, which it calls one of Judaism's most festive, Jewish maidens used to go out to the fields wearing borrowed white clothing - so as not to embarrass those who did not have fine garments of their own - and would say, "Young man, lift up your eyes and appreciate whom you are selecting [to marry]. Don't look at our beauty. Instead, look at the family..."
In addition, tradition teaches that on this day the Israelites who had entered the Land of Israel were permitted to marry outside their own tribes. Many years later on this same day, the ban on marrying into the tribe of Benjamin was rescinded. Both of these marriage-related rulings were cause for great joy among the People of Israel, as were other joyous events that occurred on this date, and so it has remained throughout the ages for both the nation and its individuals.
"Tu B'Av is a holiday devoted to singles," writes the WUJS (World Union of Jewish Students) website - though it might be more correct to say that the day is devoted to ending their "singlehood." The site continues, "Tu B'Av is about hope and continuity even after the worst of things [the destruction of the Temples is commemorated the week before]. It is about getting on with life, and with love."
The Mishna explains that on this day, which it calls one of Judaism's most festive, Jewish maidens used to go out to the fields wearing borrowed white clothing - so as not to embarrass those who did not have fine garments of their own - and would say, "Young man, lift up your eyes and appreciate whom you are selecting [to marry]. Don't look at our beauty. Instead, look at the family..."
In addition, tradition teaches that on this day the Israelites who had entered the Land of Israel were permitted to marry outside their own tribes. Many years later on this same day, the ban on marrying into the tribe of Benjamin was rescinded. Both of these marriage-related rulings were cause for great joy among the People of Israel, as were other joyous events that occurred on this date, and so it has remained throughout the ages for both the nation and its individuals.
"Tu B'Av is a holiday devoted to singles," writes the WUJS (World Union of Jewish Students) website - though it might be more correct to say that the day is devoted to ending their "singlehood." The site continues, "Tu B'Av is about hope and continuity even after the worst of things [the destruction of the Temples is commemorated the week before]. It is about getting on with life, and with love."