Tu B’Av and Matchmaking

Shavua Tov-

Today was an important date in the Jewish calendar. It was Tu B’Av, or the fifteenth of Av. It is known as a Jewish Valentine’s Day, and some even refer to it as a Jewish Sadie Hawkins Day.

The reason for this is that it actually was a kind of matchmaking day, where young maidens would go out in beautiful white dresses and often meet their mate.

Historically, the fifteenth of Av was a date where two marriage bans were lifted. The first was related to the daughters of צלפחד, who were recommended that they marry within their own tribe so that their tribal inheritance would not go to another tribe. This applied to other tribes as well, where there was no male heir. This ban was lifted and all women were now allowed to “intermarry” with the other tribes.

The second ban was on the entire tribe of Benjamin. After the tragic event involving, “the concubine of Givah,” a civil war erupted between Benjamin and the rest of Israel. After the war, it became forbidden to marry into the tribe of Benjamin.

This ban was also lifted on Tu B’Av, and Benjamin was reinstated with the rest of Israel.

This is why this day is connected with love, marriage, and matchmaking.