What is the Significance of Tu B’av

Question: What is the significance of Tu B’av?

Answer: G'mara Ta’ anit says no holiday was as festive as Tu B'Av (& Yom Kippur!). Among the happy events occurring on this date:

- The generation of the desert, ordained to die out before entering Israel, would lay down in graves each year on Tisha B'Av, & 15,000 would not get up. But the last 15,000 were spared, realizing this only when they saw Av's full moon, clearly indicating that Tisha B'Av (9 Av) had come & gone;

- On this day, women were allowed to marry men from any Shevet, not just their own;

- After the terrible civil war in the incident of Pilegesh B'Giv'ah (see Shoftim 20), the Tribes were forbidden to intra-marry with Shevet Binyamin; this ban was also lifted on Tu B'Av;

- The Jews slain at Betar in the Bar Kochba rebellion against Rome were finally allowed burial on this day; their bodies miraculously had not decayed.

Tu B’Av is known as a day propitious for matchmaking & is associated in Israel with showing love for one’s spouse - & that’s always a good thing!