Tu B’Av
Day of Love
What is Tu B’Av?
Tu B'Av, or the 15th of Av, is considered a minor Jewish holiday and often called the Jewish Day of Love. In ancient times, the 15th of Av marked the start of the annual grape harvest. To commemorate the day, the daughters of Israel would dress in borrowed, white clothes and dance in the vineyards. The Talmud shares that there is no holy days as happy as Tu B'Av (and Yom Kippur). They intentionally wore borrowed white garments so no one would feel embarrassed because of wealth or status. The celebration reflected one of Tu B'Av's central themes - unity before appearance.
Another important event associated with Tu B'Av was the lifting of restrictions that prevented marriages between certain tribes of Israel. The day therefore became associated with reconciliation, new beginnings, and the building of loving relationships.
Coming only days after Tisha B'Av - the saddest day of the Jewish calendar - Tu B'Av reminds us that darkness is never the end of the story. Love, hope, and renewal often emerge precisely where brokenness once existed. For this reason it is also a good time to rejoice on Tu B'Av.
Kabbalistic Insight
Like all holidays, there is a deeper, mystical aspect to the day. On the 15th of every month in the Jewish, lunar calendar, we experience a full moon. Tu B'Av, the 15th of Av, is likewise a full moon and we have the opportunity to experience the connection between the upper and lower realms.
Kabbalah teaches that the full moon represents completion. Unlike the sun, the moon produces no light of its own—it reflects the light it receives. Mystically, the moon represents our physical world while the sun represents Divine Light. On Tu B'Av, when the moon is full, we are reminded of our ability to fully receive and reflect that Light in our own lives.
On Tu B'av we have a heightened connection to positive beginnings and romance as the astrological sign of Av (Leo) is ruled by the sun and we experience the highest connection between the sun (Zeir Anpin) and moon (Malchut). The Talmud and the great Kabbalist, the Ari, further share that Tu B'Av is a great day to find your soulmate due to the holy energy of the day. They share that a man who marries for the sake of heaven and to help contribute to a global correction or tikkun, versus marrying solely for wealth, status, physical attraction, or personal gain (desire to receive for the self alone), will experience the same erasure of sins as experienced on Yom Kippur. Coming right after Tisha B'av (the darkest night), Tu B’Av represents the full restoration of divine love while mystically, it shows that the deepest connection to G-d comes after the deepest distance.
In Lurianic Kabbalah, Tisha B'Av symbolizes the world's brokenness, while Tu B'Av represents the beginning of its repair (tikkun). The hidden Divine Light that seemed absent only days before begins to re-emerge. This reminds us that every ending contains the seed of a new beginning.
How Do We Connect?
If the discussion about connecting Zeir Anpin and Malchut on Tu B'av is hard to conceptualize, do not to worry. Unlike most other holidays, there is no specific observance or restriction required to connect to and manifest the Light of the Creator on Tu B'av.
While Tu B'Av is often associated with romance, its deeper message is much broader. It reminds us that all meaningful relationships - between spouses, family members, friends, communities, and ultimately between humanity and the Creator - are strengthened through love, unity, compassion, and mutual respect.
Whether you begin a new relationship, strengthen an existing one, launch a meaningful project, or simply open your heart a little wider, Tu B'Av reminds us that love is not merely an emotion - it is one of the greatest spiritual forces available to transform both ourselves and the world.
Practical Tools for the Week
1 - Tell Someone You Love Them - Whether a spouse, parent, child or friend...Love grows when expressed.
2 - Heal One Relationship - Take one step. Send the text. Make the phone call. Offer forgiveness.
3 - Begin Something New - Start the business. Ask the question. Renew the vows. Take the first step.
Happy Tu B'Av - enjoy!
Resources & Credits
The Holiday Wisdom emails and the ideas presented herein are compiled from the following sources:
Gutnick Edition Chumash with Rashi's commentary, Targum Onkelos, and commentary anthologized from Classic Rabbinic Texts and the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Apples from the Orchard - Gleanings from the Mystical Teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria on the Weekly Torah Portion
Kabbalistic Bible - Kabbalah Centre International, Inc
Chabad.org
LiveKabbalah.org
The Zohar - Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, various translations
Mysteries of the Kabbalah - Marc-Alain Ouaknin
Other online written and video content that discusses and shares Kabbalistic Wisdom