| Tu B'Av - from Nature's Perspective | Courtesy of Neot Kedumim visit their website at http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/ Tu B'Av literally means the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av which this year falls on July 28, 1999. The day was marked as an ancient holiday of nature and agriculture in the land of Israel, celebrated all over Israel at the same time. From this day onward, the sun's strength decreases and hours of darkness increase, as the rainyseason approaches. Thoughout Israel, Tu B'Av is marked primarily by an increasein dew and moisture, which induces the flowering of the white squill and stimulates the olives to begin to fill with oil. More on this holiday's history can be found in the book "Nature in Our Biblical Heritage" by Neot Kedumim's founder, Nogah Hareuveni. Available thru our gift shop. Why do we dance in the olive groves? "Said Rabban Shimon Ben-Gamliel: there were no better festive days in Israel than the fifteenth day of the month of Av and Yom Kippur, on which the daughters of Jerusalem would dress in borrowed white clothes...and go out to dance in the groves" [Ta'anit 4, 8] This ancient tradition tells of dancing in the groves for the purpose of meeting and matchmaking among young people in the days of the Temple. White dresses were worn to symbolize the while squill that appeared all over Israel's landscape at this time. White is the color of Israel's fall season. But what made these days so joyous? Yom Kippur - because it is the day of forgiveness - the day the second set of Tablets were given. For Tu B'Av, many reasons have been found: 1.The law that restricted women with inherited property to marry within her tribe (in order to keep the property within the tribe) was lifted on that day only. 2.This was the day that the guard that blocked the road to Jerusalem from the Kingdom of Israel was removed, so that all the tribes could go up for the festivals. 3.This was the day that wood stopped being cut for the altar. Since from Tu B'Av onward the sun's strength weakens, the cut logs would not dry quickly enough to prevent smoking when burnt. 4.This was the day the olives started filling with oil, hence the day was also called "Olive day". The lessening of work in the fields, preliminary to the ingathering and plowing, served as an opportune time for "whoever did not have a wife" to take off from his usual activities and go visiting another tribes to seek a wife from among the girls dancing in the olive groves. Tu B'Av Backgrounder Tu B'Av and Tisha B'Av Fences of Holiness