Evolution of Tu Be’av into Jewish Valentine’s Day
By BINYAMIN KAGEDAN/JNS.ORG
08/02/2012 14:09
A celebration falling 6 days after Tisha Be’av has been re-imagined as a Jewish version of Valentine’s Day.
Tu Be'Av Photo: Thinkstock
Everyone loves a happy ending. Jewish holiday ritual, though it has its
share of melancholy moments, usually prefers to go out on a high note.
Six
days after Tisha Be’av, the fast day well known to traditional Jews as
the saddest day of the Jewish year, comes another, largely unknown
holiday that was once considered the happiest of occasions. The 15th of
the Hebrew month of Av, or Tu Be’av—falling this year on the night of
August 2—is a celebration that has passed under the radar for much of
Jewish history. In ancient Israel, however, communal observance of Tu
Be’av included a remarkable ceremony unlike anything else in Jewish
practice. The Talmud paints a vivid and touching picture of a day
devoted to love and matchmaking:
“…the daughters of Jerusalem
used to walk out in white garments, which they borrowed in order not to
put to shame anyone who had none…[they] came out and danced in the
vineyards exclaiming: “Young man, lift up your eyes and see what you
will choose for yourself. Do not seek beauty but seek a good family…”
(from Ta’anit 26b)
Girls of marriageable age twirling around in
vineyards in the finest white clothing they could borrow, hoping to be
chosen by a handsome young suitor—needless to say, the practice hasn’t
survived into the 21st century. However, there is also no oral tradition
or textual evidence indicating that the ritual was observed for any
amount of time after the destruction of the Second Temple. The fate of
Tu Be’av is indeed a great historical mystery.
Why would such a
joyous ritual be shelved? One can imagine that the practice may have
fallen into disuse as Diaspora Jews settled into various cultures across
the world and gradually adopted those cultures’ ideas surrounding love
and marriage. Alternatively, the rabbis who oversaw the transformation
of the Temple-based religion of ancient Israel into the Judaism we know
today may have deemed the practice too immodest, or perhaps too
reminiscent of Israel’s pagan roots. Whatever the reason, by the Middle
Ages Tu Be’av had become an empty shell of a holiday, marked by minor
changes in the daily prayer service but lacking a unique flavor or
special ritual.
Fast forward to the birth of the modern State of
Israel. Over the last 60 years, the county's organic secular Jewish culture
has breathed new life into Tu Be’av and its observance. Since it lacks
its own rituals, Tu Be’av was the perfect foundation upon which to build
a new secular tradition—a holiday drawn from and named by historical
Judaism but free of specific theological overtones. Inspired by the
account given in the Talmud, Israelis seized upon the timeless theme of
love and reimagined Tu Be’av as a Jewish counterpart to Valentine’s Day.
Israelis today show appreciation for loved ones with flowers and
romantic dinners while bakeries prepare heart-shaped treats. Restaurants
advertise Tu Be’av specials featuring specially prepared meals for two,
and nightclubs across the country hold themed parties with special
guest bands and DJs.
More recently, the trend has made its way
across the Atlantic, as more and more American Jewish organizations are
holding Tu Be’av-themed events, aimed especially at young adults and
singles. Some have even resurrected the practice of wearing white by
organizing so- called “White Parties” in the form of club nights or
rooftop soirees.
Be part of this renewed and wonderful tradition by spending the day with someone you love!
Binyamin Kagedan has an MA in Jewish Thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.