Tu B'Av (Hebrew: ט"ו באב, the fifteenth of the month Av) is a celebratory day in the Jewish calendar. The day has no special observances, but bears a mildly festive character, which is reflected in the omission of Tachanun, a downkey penitentiary prayer after the morning and afternoon prayer services. Hebrew (עִבְרִית, ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Ab (אָב, Standard Hebrew Av, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĀḇ; from Akkadian abu) is also the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year and the fifth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... This figure, in a detail of a medieval Hebrew calendar, reminded Jews of the palm branches ( Lulav) and the citron ( Etrog) to be brought to the synagogue at the end of sukkot, closing the solemn convocations of the calendar in autumn. ... Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ...

The Talmud (tractate Taanit, fourth chapter) mentions Tu B'Av as a major festive day during the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, parallel in character to Yom Kippur: unmarried girls would lend each other simple clothes (so that the richer girls could not be visually distinguished from the poorer ones) and sing and dance in the vineyards surrounding Jerusalem. The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions of Jewish law, ethics, customs, and stories, which are authoritative in Jewish tradition. ... Taanit (also: Taanis) is one of basic tractes in the Mishnah, in the Tosefta, and in both Talmuds. ... The Temple in Jerusalem or the Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was built in ancient Jerusalem in c. ... Yom Kippur (יום כיפור yom kippūr) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: Yerushalayim; Arabic: al-Quds; Greek Ιεροσόλυμα; Latin Aelia Capitolina) is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ...

There are several reasons mentioned by the Talmud and its commentators: Meforshim is a Hebrew word meaning commentators (or roughly meaning exegetes), and is used as a substitute for the correct word perushim which means commentaries. In Judaism this term refers to commentaries by the commentators on the Torah (five books of Moses), Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, responsa, even...

• During the Jewish people's 40-year wandering in the desert, female orphans without brothers could only marry within their tribe, to prevent their father's inherited land in the Land of Israel from passing on to other tribes. On the fifteenth of Av of the fourtieth year, this ban was lifted.
• In the same year, the annual dying of participants in the Sin of Spies ceased.
• The Tribe of Benjamin was allowed to intermarry with the other tribes after the incident with the Concubine of Giv'ah.
• The wood offerings for the Temple ceased.
• The nights, traditionally the ideal time for Torah study, are lengthened again after the summer solstice, permitting more study.
• The Roman occupiers permitted burial of the victims of the Massacre of Bethar. It was discovered that - through a miracle - the bodies had not disintegrated at all, despite being exposed to the elements for over a year.

As stated, the day has no specific observances nowadays. Nevertheless, it bears a festive character, and is considered auspicious for marriage. It also marks an informal "high" to counter the "low" of the Three Weeks. This article concerns the concept of The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל Eretz Yisrael) in Jewish and Christian thought throughout the history from its Biblical sources to the present day. ... The Tribe of Benjamin (בִּנְיָמִין Son of my right hand but in some Rabbinical Judaism traditions Son of the south, Standard Hebrew Binyamin, Tiberian Hebrew Binyāmîn) is one of the Hebrew tribes, founded by Benjamin, son of Jacob. ... Torah study is the study by Jews of the Torah, Tanakh, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaisms religious texts, for the purpose of the mitzvah (commandment) of Torah study itself, meaning study for religious (as opposed to academic) purposes. ... Illumination of Earth by the sun on the northern hemisphere summer solstice The summer solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the sun in relation to the celestial equator. ... A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, usually recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. ... The Three Weeks are days of mourning commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem within Judaism. ...

In secular Jewish culture in Israel, Tu B'Av is considered the festival of love and also known under this name (Hag Ha-Ahava). Night long concerts are held beginning at the eve of Tu B'Av, the most central of which at the Tsemah beach on the Sea of Galilee, south of Tiberias. The Chinese character for love (愛) —its parts indicating (top to bottom): That which gives breath (ie. ... The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out of it to the south and into the Dead Sea Kineret redirects here; for the Amgen drug having this tradename, see Anakinra The Sea of Galilee is Israels largest freshwater lake, approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about... Tiberias in 1862, the ruins reminiscent of its ancient heritage. ...

External links

• The 15th of Av chabad.org