TU BEAV, TESHUVAH, FORGIVENESS

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Alisa and Juan on their Anniversary tomorrow. This is close to Tu BeAv, which we celebrate in a few days, when lots of marriages would take place in Yerushalayim each year. Wishing you much happiness together!

Mazal Tov to Zelda Marks, whose birthday is next week. Thinking of you with warm memories Zelda, and hoping that you are doing well. Wishing you a wonderful year with good health and happiness!

As we now move from the 9 days of mourning climaxed by Tisha BeAv, we have a Shabbos of REJOICING, where we read the HafTorah of NACHAMU (COMFORTING), and are hopeful that Hashem will comfort us for the destruction of the Holy Temples and Yerushalayim. (and all the current problems we are facing)

This is followed by a further 6 weeks of CONSOLATION, where each Haftorah follows this theme.

Running alongside these 6 weeks, there is a general custom that there are 6 weeks between TU BEAV (15th of Av) and Rosh Hashanah, where we already start to wish each other a Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah for Good and Sweet New Year.

If you take the gematria (numerical value) of 'kesivah vechasimah tovah' and 'chamishah assar beAv', (15th of Av), they both equal 928! Ie Tu BeAv is linked to ROSH HASHANAH

Which connects to the fact that TU BEAV, is also a DAY OF FORGIVENESS (Mishnah Taanis).

In relation to forgiveness I saw a beautiful Tanya in Igeres Hateshuvah Chap 11: (As one of the avenues of Teshuvah):

When a person humbles himself by remembering his or her past misconduct, and imperfect record, this enables him to become immune to becoming angry, or taking offence in any way.

As our Sages declare "Those who are humiliated, yet do not humiliate in return, who hear their insult and do not retort, who perform out of love, and are happy in their affliction, concerning them Scripture says "Those who love Him shall be like the sun rising in all it's might."

Moreover he who passes over his feelings, all his misdeeds are passed over." (Judges 5:31, Shabbat88b etc)

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos, with consolation and good news for the whole of Klal Yisrael