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Parsha Insights
By Rabbi Scott Kahn

"Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days for Israel as good as the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur..." (Taanit 26b)

The fifteenth day of Av, which coincides with this Shabbat, epitomizes happiness. What occurred on the fifteenth of Av that this day is considered to be the one of the two happiest days on the Jewish calendar?

In Masechet Baba Batra (121a-b) Chazal offer six opinions as to the source of the tremendous happiness of this day. According to the Rashbam, these six opinions do not argue with one another, but are complementary and equally accurate traditions. The earliest occurrence that is cited is directly related to the tragedy of the spies, and the decree for all members of that generation to die in the wilderness. On the last fifteenth of Av in the desert, the decree of death was finally concluded, and the spies' report would no longer cause the deaths of the generation who left Egypt.

The Rashbam, citing Midrash Eicha, explains that the Jews slated to die in the desert died over Tisha B'Av. Every erev Tisha B'Av, the Children of Israel would dig large graves, and sleep in them overnight. In the morning, the living would separate from the dead, who had died in their sleep. This occurred every year, but during the fortieth year of wandering, no one died. The people wondered if perhaps they had miscalculated the date for Tisha B'Av, and they anticipated death for several additional days. Only when the moon was full - on the fifteenth of Av - did they realize that Hashem had revoked the decree, and that no one would die that year.

Tosafot disagree with this interpretation, and explain instead that the final members of that generation indeed died over Tisha B'Av during the last year in the desert. The fifteenth of Av was simply the final day of shiva, and, accordingly, the day on which the decree of death was finished.

Both the Rashbam and Tosafot agree, however, that the fifteenth of Av gained its prominent status not because of a miracle that occurred, but rather because of the cessation of something evil. Far from representing something good, the fifteenth of Av symbolizes the end of something bad! Furthermore, the majority of the other causes for rejoicing mentioned in Baba Batra were also the removal of barriers, rather than the addition of something positive. Why is this a cause for celebration?

The answer lies in reevaluating our normal understanding of the universe. We sometimes try to push away the reality of evil, to believe that evil is merely an illusion, or, worse, a matter of opinion. We sometimes assume that the means to perfecting the world is to constantly increase the good, to think of ways to make things better, rather than trying to remove the poison. And, unquestionably, these must always be among our priorities. It does not mitigate, however, the necessity of eliminating evil. Removing evil is often a prerequisite to adding G-dliness.

This is expressed succinctly by the Chofetz Chaim. He states that someone who speaks lashon hara causes spiritual damage to his power of speech; the various mitzvot he performs through speaking then become damaged goods. Just as the damaged tools of a silversmith will prevent him from making perfected vessels, regardless of his talent, the imperfect speech of a baal lashon hara will harm the words of Torah and prayer he later utters, regardless of his otherwise good intentions. The only way to solve this problem is to first remove the lashon hara, thereby repairing his tool of speech. The elimination of evil is the crucial first step toward doing good. Without that first step, every later step will be imperfect and impaired.

The fifteenth day of Av is, as Tosafot mention, the last day of shiva from Tisha B'Av. It is the end of the season of tragedy, the conclusion of our punishments. It is the day on which barriers are removed, for it is the day on which the evil decree is put aside. And because the evil can be seen as part of the past, rather than the present, we are able to move forward with new determination, unburdened by the weights that, until now, kept us from becoming what we really can be.

The fifteenth of Av puts punishments in the rear-view mirror. The fifteenth of Av is the cessation of the evil decree. The fifteenth of Av is the start of a new life. By allowing us to escape the past, it serves as the beginning of the drive toward Elul, and, further on, towards a good decree on Rosh Hashanah. Let us use this opportunity wisely, enabling us to enter the season of repentance with nothing to hold us back. The fifteenth of Av will then, indeed, be a cause for rejoicing.