(Adapted from The Book of Heritage by Eliyahu Kitov) The Day Death Ceased | Like Yom Kippur | Breaking the Hatchets | End of Planting | A Good Inscription The Day Death Ceased According to our tradition, every Tisha B'Av (9th Av) following the sin of the Golden Calf found another 15,000 Jews dying in the wilderness. The last 15,000 gained a reprieve and awoke in the morning uncertain of their fate: perhaps they had erred in their calculation of the date. However, when these unfortunate individuals saw the moon in its fullness on the 15th Av, they knew that their calculations were correct and that they had been spared the harsh decree. They therefore observed the 15th Av as a Yom Tov. Like Yom Kippur Just as Yom Kippur is a day of forgiveness, so is Tu B'Av. Just as the Jewish people are delivered from sin on Yom Kippur and the Second Tablets of Law given on that date, so were the people forgiven on Tu B'Av for the sin of the Golden Calf. Consequently, these days were also regarded as days of festivity during which the daughters of the city would go out to dance in the vineyards without any fear of their breaching the fences of modesty. The day was known also as the "Festival of the Lord," a day on which all was done solely for the sake of Heaven. Breaking the Hatchets Rebuilding the Temple: Stones - yes; Altar wood - No! The contribution of wood for the Temple Altar in the time of the return from exile was a particularly exemplary deed. The land was desolate and Israel's enemies were notorious for preventing any found wood from arriving in Jerusalem. Among other things they would set up road blocks on the way to Jerusalem. And without wood, the Temple service could not proceed. So, anyone bringing wood to the Temple performed a courageous and righteous deed. Those that did were known to sing and play as they did. The last day for cutting the wood for the Altar was 15th Av each year, since only dry wood not attacked by worms was suitable. After this date, the waning strength of the sun's rays failed to dry the wood quickly enough before the worms entered and rendered the wood unfit for the Altar. The last day of the summer, when preparation of altar wood was completed, was therefore a festive day. It came to be called "the day of the hatchets," since, after that day, there was no need for the hatchets that year. End of Planting The 15th Av is the last day of planting for the year with reference to the Sabbatical Year and orlah, the status of trees during their first three years. Trees are not planted within the 44 days preceding Rosh Hashanah of the seventh year, in order to allow the tree to take root before the New Year. Regarding orlah, if a tree is planted before 16th Av, then the remaining days before Rosh Hashanah are considered as one of the three years. The fruit is thus prohibited for only two more years. A Good Inscription In Jewish ethical writing, the 15th Av is considered as a precursor of the upcoming month of Elul, the month of preparation for judgement. Some people, therefore, when writing letters to friends, add the phrase ketivah vechatimah tova - 'May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year," from this day, even though the custom is to do so from the beginning of Elul. Tu B'Av Backgrounder Tu B'Av and Tisha B'Av Fences of Holiness