Tu B’Av
When picking a date for our wedding, we overcame a mountain of scheduling conflicts. We prayed and asked that God find the perfect day for us. We knew it had to be during the summer so that our guests with kids could attend and we wanted it to be as late as possible so that we had time to plan it. We knew we wanted The Little Nell because a mountain top wedding was bound to be much cooler than a summer wedding anywhere else!
We were focused on practical issues, not choosing a date or location for tradition purposes.
We chose Tuesday, August 1 because it was the only date that The Little Nell had available that worked with everyone’s schedule. We were a little concerned about the a wedding in the middle of the week, but were glad it helped us keep the Sabbath. Little did we know the significance of this date until after we had booked it.
August 1st happens to be the 15th day in the month of Av on the Hebrew calendar. Jewish oral tradition, as written down in the Mishnah, documents this day as one of the two biggest celebrations of the year. The daughters of Jerusalem would borrow a white dress and dance in the vineyards and men who lacked a wife would go and look for a bride. It became a Jewish “Valentine’s Day” and, according to Jewish tradition, many historic events from the bible occurred on this date including:
The tribes were permitted to intermarry.
The dying of the Exodus generation ceased (after 40 years).
The Tribe of Benjamin was readmitted to Israel allowing men from the tribe to marry daughters from other tribes.
The Northern Kingdom was allowed to visit Jerusalem and worship at the temple.
This holiday is no longer really noticed or celebrated since the destruction of the temple. The integrity of the Jewish oral traditions is certainly suspect (Yeshua frequently criticized the traditions of the Jews). Nevertheless, a wedding on a Full Moon that coincides with the most auspicious day for a Jewish wedding is fascinating and unintended “coincidence”.
Wedding at Cana in Galilee
Yeshua performed his first miracle when he turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana.
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee — John 2:1
The third day is a Tuesday. Coincidently our wedding is also occurring on the third day. While the Bible is not clear on exactly when this wedding occurred, there are several reasons to believe that it could have been Tu B’Av. The first reasons is that, according to the Dead Sea Scrolls there was to be a First Fruits of Wine offering 50 days after Shavuot (aka Pentecost). Turning Water into Wine around First Fruits of Wine would be fitting, but this time also coincides with 3 weeks of mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and exile. No weddings or other celebrations were/are permitted during that time. Tu B’Av is the first day a wedding could occur and was a much needed time for celebration after 3 weeks of mourning.
While this certainly isn’t proof, it is a reasonable probability that a wedding feast would occur at this time. One must wonder why the Bible mentions the “Third Day” in this place aside from the prophetic parallel of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb occurring on the Third, “1000 year Day”, after the resurrection of Yeshua.