Today is the festival of Tu b’Av, the 15th of Av. Tu b’Av is nowadays also seen as the Jewish Valentine day.
But the Talmud considers this day to be more holy than Yom Kipur. Why? On this day the girls were dancing in the wineguards before the boys, and so shiduchim were made. ‘Young man, look up and see whom you choose for yourself, says Taanit, and no doubt the girls had their ways to draw the attention of their choice. Less than a week ago, on Tisha b’Av, we remembered the destruction and mourned, and now we celebrate the creation of new families, the continuity of Jewish life.
The Hasidic masters considered this day a mistery: a forebode of the future redemption, of which we cannot see the essence as long as we are not redeemed ourselves.
May this day open our heart and bring us love in al dimensions.