Chamisha Asar B’Av, The 15th of Av

00:00 As we find ourselves in Chamisha Asar B'Av, the fifteenth day of the month of Av, about which the Talmud relates that many good things took place on this day over the course of generations, and that is why it is considered a great Yom Tov. On this occasion, we will refer to the Rebbe's insights about Chamisha Asar B'Av. To begin with, citing the Mishnah in the Talmud, in the Tractate of Tainis twenty-six B, the Mishnah cites the following. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said, "There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur, as on them the daughters of Yerushalayim would go out in white clothes," and as the Mishnah discusses further, and then in the Gemara itself, that they went out to find their match, their soulmate. Still here is the concept beneath it, the Chamisha Asar B'Av, as it is quoted in the Mishnah, et cetera. In the year taf shin lamed heh, nineteen seventy-five, we find that the Rebbe introduced a new era of initiatives regarding the three weeks and the nine days and con-- in order to convert them to positivity. In taf shin lamed heh, nineteen seventy-five, the Rebbe advised to make Siyumim on a tractate in the Talmud through the nine days up to Tisha B'Av, and also on Tisha B'Av, on a tractate which is allowed to be learned on Tisha B'Av. And this was to generate a joy of Torah. Torah is mesameach, the lev, mesamchei lev, they bring joy

02:05 to the heart, which is permissible for all year round. The following year, taf shin lamed vav, nineteen seventy-six, the Rebbe advised that Yidden should study the laws of the Beis Hamikdash and the verses in the prophets, in Yechezkel, et cetera. This reflects what the Midrash relates, that Hashem told the prophet Yechezkel that by studying the laws, the dimensions of the Beis Hamikdash, it is considered, as Hashem said, that my house is not destroyed, beisi ein nebakel. In another Midrash, it says that anyone who studies the topics of the Beis Hamikdash, it is considered as he is involved in building the Beis Hamikdash. Likewise, it was in that same very year, taf shin lamed heh, the first year when the Rebbe initiated the first, uh, inyan, which is basically making Siyumim and Gemaras, that the Rebbe selected the fifteenth day of Menachem Av, the fifteenth of Av to farbreng with Chassidim, during which he would deliver Torah insights in a special discourse explaining in depth the uniqueness of the fifteenth of Av. And from that year and on, the Rebbe would quite often farbreng on this day. The Rebbe explains the uniqueness of the fifteenth of Av as follows. We will cite it here briefly. There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur. The question is, why is it so unique in addition to what the Talmud discusses? The explanation based on Kabbalah, Etz Chayim, Pri Etz Chayim, because it is a full moon, the

04:02 fifteenth of the month, of the Hebrew month, is always a full moon, and the Jewish nation is compared to the moon. If so, the Rebbe continues, a full moon is in every month. Every month has a full moon, and especially that we stress that there was no such Yom Im Tevim as Chamisha Asar B'Av and Yom Kippur, which means that it's even superior more than Pesach and Sukkot, which are also on the fifteenth of the month, and they also have a full moon. The answer that Chassidus explains is a famous quote, yedid et zeh l'aliyah. A descent is for the purpose of an elevation of ascent, and the greater the descent, the greater the elevation. Therefore, Chassidus explains, because Tisha B'Av is a greater des-descent than other times in the year, it was a day which historically speaking, many sad events took place for the Jewish nation, already from the time of the meraglim when the spies were sent to Eretz Yisrael, and in addition to that, also in Jewish history over the years. Therefore, when the fifteenth of the month of Av arrives, which is a full moon, it expresses an elevation more than all other months in the year, because this comes after the descent, which is a very low and very grave descent, which was on Tisha B'Av. And therefore, Chamisha Asar B'Av, the shleimus of the levana, the moon, full moon, which symbolizes also Am Yisrael, so this reflects the elevation of Am Yisrael from their descents, spiritual and physical. We

06:06 will, im yirtze Hashem, continue in the next installment. The hemsek in reference to the early installment regarding the fifteenth of Av, we now continue with installment number two, discussing various insights from the Rebbe on the fifteenth of Av. The first point is one that the Rebbe spoke at the twentieth of Av, Fabrengen. The twentieth of Av is the day of the Yartzeit, the hillulah of the Rebbe's father, and this was in Taf Shin Yud Alef, nineteen fifty-one. And the Rebbe said the following amongst the sichas that the Rebbe spoke at that evening. It is known that after Tisha b'Av, which is when the days of mourning end, and in particular from the fifteenth of Av and on, begins a new era, a new seder in the hanhaga of Bnei Yisroel, of Am Yisroel. It is mentioned explicitly at the conclusion of Masecht Ta'anit, the Tractate of Ta'anit in the Talmud in regards to Chamisha Asar b'Av, in the year to the fifteenth of Av that םכן ואילך דמסב יוסף. Rashi explains this means that a person adds more in the evening in the study of Torah, and when a person adds more in the study of Torah as the evenings, the nights are becoming longer, so this will also bring about an increase in the life of the person. Which means that the seder of the increase in Limud HaTorah at night, as it's mentioned in Shulchan Aruch, begins from Chamisha Asar b'Av, and it continues like this a whole year. Then the Rebbe adds

08:04 another point. It is known that Chamisha Asar b'Av is the beginning of a new era for the whole coming year, as it is explained in Svarim that Chamisha Asar b'Av, the numerical value of the three words Chamisha Asar b'Av and is be'gematria כתיבה וחתימה טובה, which means to be inscribed and sealed for a good year. And the Rebbe concludes this is a Peysha gematria mentioned from the Munkatcher. The Rebbe mentioned this numerical value quite often. Interesting to note on a side note that this is also reflected in regards to Halakha in Shmita, that the forty-four days before Rosh Hashanah is also a cutoff point of a new period, and the forty-four days before Rosh Hashanah is the sixteenth of Av, which means this is right after Chamisha Asar b'Av, it's already a phase of preparing for the new year. And that is when pe-people wish each other כתיבה וחתימה טובה, as the Rebbe mentioned it in Sichas. Another point in regards to Chamisha Asar b'Av, this was a Sicha in Taf Shin Lamed Tes, nineteen seventy-nine. It expresses the union of Achdus Yisroel, the unity of Am Yisroel. Firstly, as the Talmud describes the dance that the Aibishter will make together with Yidden and a dance in a circle, a machol, shows that there's no beginning, there's no end, everyone is equal in one round circle. That shows the union of Achdus Yisroel. In addition to that, some of the events that happened on this day in the past express the unity of Am Yisroel

10:02 regarding to the hutru shvatim lav zeh ba'zeh, that shvatim, tribes, were permitted to assimilate with each other and that is in regard to Binyamin, which expressed the unity of Am Yisroel. As mentioned that the Talmud, and particularly in the Mishnah, it stated, "להוי ימים טובים לישראל," there weren't such ימים טובים to Y-- by Yidden as Chamisha Asar b'Av and Yom HaKippurim. So the Rebbe elaborates, this means that the Yom Tov is a Yom Tov of such i- that it increases the life of the person. And this is not Shavuos which is Ma'amad Har Sinai, not Yom Kippur which is when the second set of the Luchos, the tablets were given, but in particular Chamisha Asar b'Av. And the Rebbe explains what is the difference between Yom HaKippurim and Chamisha Asar b'Av, and why is it that Chamisha Asar b'Av is on a higher level. Rebbe says as follows, "Yom HaKippurim comes after a gradual avoda, a service over the course of forty days, beginning from Rosh Chodesh Elul, when a person elevates from one level to another. First is the first section of Chodesh Elul, the first avoda, the beginning of the avoda. Then comes Yemei HaSlichos, and then comes Rosh Hashanah, and then comes the ten days of repentance, ימי העשרת ימי תשובה, till Yom Kippur. Till eventually, Neilah, the closing prayer, the closing tefillah of Yom Kippur, at which its conclusion we announce, 'Hashem Hu Ha'Elokim,' because this is the completion, this is the climax of all the elevations. And after that, it

11:57 is drawn down from the seven heavens down to earth till we announce, 'L'shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim.'" On the other hand, when it comes to Chamisha Asar b'Av, it comes right after Tisha b'Av, and Tisha b'Av was a very low descent And nevertheless, when it comes to Chamishas above, there is an ascent, a full moon, which shows that it was a jump. It wasn't a gradual elevation as it is from Elul to Yom Kippur. That in a maim adamatzab, in a situation of layla, darkness, which is from Tishab of Anan, we then increase in the limud hateira and bemeila this accomplishes a very positive light in contrast to the descent in which Yidden found themselves in Tishabav. An additional point that the Rebbe explains the unique quality of Chamishas above is that Chamishas above is compared to Yom HaKippurim since the Mishnah compares one to another. Nevertheless, it's on a higher level than Yom Kippur because Yom Kippur, a person does not eat or drink, it's prohibited, and Chamishas above a person could eat, eat and drink. So this brings out the essence of Tchiya Samaysim. When we will have Tchiya Samaysim in the redemption time, this is when the unique quality of the body will stand out on a higher level than the soul. And bemeila there won't be any need to refrain from eating and drinking, but Tchiya Samaysim it will be davka neshama beguf ve'adirabe. So this is basically the inyan of Chamishas above, which in Yom Kippur we don't have it because in

13:55 Yom Kippur a person has to remove himself from all the physical comforts that he is prohibited from doing on Yom Kippur. Of course, the inyan of Yom Kippur will also be when Mashiach comes, its mitzvahs are nitzchi, it's eternal, so it's a different aveda than the aveda of Chamishas above. Another example that Rebbe gives and explains how Chamishas above is on a higher level, this is based on what it says in the Tikkun Ize'ar, that Yom Kippur is considered Yom HaKippurim, it is like Purim. Nevertheless, Purim, we accomplish all the revelations through eating and drinking. On the other hand, when it comes to Yom Kippur, a person has to refrain himself from all the physical pleasures. And finally, another insight from the Rebbe in a ge'ah to Shabbos Nachamu and Chamishas Arbiov. Some years they are on the same day, the 15th of Av is Shabbos Nachamu. So the Rebbe says the difference is Shabbos Nachamu is as it is a completion, climax in Teita, because this is from the prophets, which is part of Teita. Chamishas Arbiov refers to world, it relates and reflects the full moon, which is something that's taking place in world. So it is a shleimos which is in world, as it is also understood from the inyan of prophecy that in order to solidify a prophecy that it should be fulfilled in this physical world, the novi needed to do something physical in order to draw down the prophecy in this physical world, as it is mentioned in the

15:47 Droches Haram.