Likkutei Sichos, 15 Av 1
Sicha, 15 & 20 Menachem-Av 5739
A. A Holiday Like No Other
The Talmud tells us that “There were no festivals for the Jewish people like the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur,” when the girls of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards (Sources 1–2). The Kol Bo explains that this event was an opportunity for older unmarried girls to find their match (Source 3).
The Talmud lists six events for which the 15th of Av was chosen to be celebrated alongside Yom Kippur:
1. On this day, the tribes were permitted to intermarry with one another.
2. On this day, the tribe of Benjamin was once again allowed to intermarry with the other tribes, after this had been banned following the incident of the Concubine at Givah.
3. On this day, the generation of the desert—those who sinned with the spies—ceased to die.
4. On this day, the restrictions preventing the ten tribes in the northern kingdom from ascending to the Temple in Jerusalem were lifted.
5. On this day, the fallen of Beitar, who died in the Bar Kochba revolt, were brought to burial.
6. On this day, the cutting of the wood for the altar—needed for offerings throughout the year—was completed. (Source 4)
B. Connecting the Dots
The Rebbe uncovers a unifying thread running through all the events that took place on the 15th of Av: they all express the concept of Jewish unity.
The permission for the tribes to marry one another, and likewise the lifting of the ban on the tribe of Benjamin, represent the removal of barriers and the restoration of unity among the Jewish people.
The end of the decree against the generation of the desert—until then, the nation was divided between those allowed to enter the Land and those barred from it. When the decree ended, this division dissolved.
The removal of barriers that prevented pilgrimage to the Temple allowed all tribes—from both the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel—to ascend together to Jerusalem, a tangible expression of Jewish unity.
The burial of the Beitar martyrs symbolized their reintegration with the collective Jewish dead, who will one day rise at the resurrection of the dead. Burial is a prerequisite for resurrection. Another point: the people of Beitar had rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, and were therefore punished—Beitar was destroyed, and its dead denied burial (Source 5). When that decree was annulled and burial permitted, it was a sign that Heaven had forgiven them and unity had been restored among the nation. As the verse says, “Your brother should not be disgraced before your eyes”—once he has been punished, his sin is forgiven, and he is again your brother (Source 6).
The wood-offering also expresses unity. The donation of wood enabled the offering of sacrifices on behalf of anyone, even those who could not afford or obtain wood themselves, symbolizing charity and unity.
Another point: When the Second Temple was built, there was a severe shortage of wood. Nine families donated wood for the altar throughout the year. To honor their merit, each family was assigned a specific annual date when they would bring their donation (Source 7).
Over the years, many Jews wished to join the wood donation, and they would attach themselves to one of the nine families from their own tribe. But what if someone didn’t know their tribal identity? They would join the family of Zatou ben Judah, which brought wood on the 15th of Av. This is yet another example of the unity that characterized this special day (Source 8).
Finally, the matchmaking event with the daughters of Jerusalem also reflected unity: they all wore borrowed, identical garments, danced in a single circle, and expressed the idea that everyone is equal—without differences in status or lineage.
