Tu Bav
By zevi770 · August 3, 2012
Today is a strange festival!
We don’t celebrate what is, rather what we celebrate – what isn’t!
Our sages teach – and the Rebbe highlighted – never were there greater festivals in ancient Israel – when the Jews were on exceptionally high spiritual levels – then today; the fifteen of the month of Av and Yom Kippur (where the pardon of God was meaningful and delightful to them.)
Now what is so great about this day?
The fifteenth of the month is when the disc of the moon becomes a full circle (seen by man from earth.)
But aren’t there even greater times, such as the fifteen of the month of Nissan, which is Passover and other fifteens?!
Why is an ordinary fifteenth of the month so significant?
The answer is most enlightening!
Pain can act as a catalyst for the greatest pleasure!
How so?
When we just have pleasure, we do not have an appreciation or understanding of the joy of pleasure, for as our sages teach us, taanug timidi ainoi taanug, constantly indulging in eating ice cream, causes that ice cream ceases to give us pleasure.
Ironically, the only time we can truly appreciate life is when we are threatened with losing it.
Hence, people who have survived potentially fatal accidents often come out with a very great appreciation of life itself!
Similarly, by contrasting the absolute despair of Jews who suffered the destruction of their holy temple, the exile into barbaric nations, whose most recent holocaust (which historically was unfortunately not a one time occurrence – though perhaps in savagery it was unique – but in terms of a genocide, murdering a third of the Jewish people this happened all to often!) and when we contrast how, today we are free all over the world! we are gaining respect from good gentiles the world over! God has restored our ancient homeland back to us! and perhaps most importantly, the consciousness of humanity is engaging in the sublime truths instead of the petty indulgences! – now and only now, can we attain true joy!!!