For most of us, the 15th Av is little more than a day on which davening is shorter because no Tachanun is said. In fact, though, the day has deep significance. The Talmud (Taanis 31a; Bava Basra 121b) states, “From now on, whoever adds increases.” Rashi explains: “From the 15th of Av onward, whoever adds nights to the days by studying Torah adds life to his lifetime.”
The Talmud notes that the sun’s power and intense heat start to noticeably weaken at this time. As the Rashbam explains, “the nights get longer and the days get shorter,” and therefore “one should study Torah at night, too.” In fact, the Talmud states, “Night was created only for Torah study” (Eiruvin 65a).
The Rambam goes even further: “Although there is a commandment to study Torah [both] during the day and at night, a person learns most of his wisdom only at night. Therefore, a person who wishes to be privileged with the ‘crown of Torah’ should be careful with all his nights, not to waste even one with sleep, eating, drinking, conversation, and the like, but only with Torah study and subjects of wisdom” (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:13).
“Subjects of wisdom,” in this context, say the commentaries, mean the most profound Torah subjects, which Rambam earlier defined as “pardes” – maaseh merkavah and maaseh bereishis, knowledge of Hashem and His creation (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 4:13).
Night is ideal for studying Torah because normal daytime disturbances and problems don’t disrupt our attention and concentration, making it easier to explore subjects in depth and remember them.
At night, we are more spiritually attuned, we are free of daytime’s material influences, and we are more open to humility and holiness. Therefore, Torah study at this time has the ability to bring us spiritually closer to Hashem in a more conscious and profound way. For the above reasons, night is also ideal for a cheshbon hanefesh (spiritual “stocktaking”) in Krias Shema or saying Tikkun Chatzos.
So when Rashi writes of “adding life to [one’s] lifetime,” he doesn’t just mean better health and longer life; he also means an improved quality of life – not just in the next world, but even in this one. As our Sages say, “You will see your world [to come] in your lifetime [in this world]” (Berachos 17a).
Chassidus, based on the Kabbalah of the Arizal, highlights the full moon that’s visible on the 15th of Av. The moon symbolizes the Jewish people, who are compared to the moon (as we say in Kiddush Levana) and who therefore count their years based on the lunar calendar. Gentile nations, on the other hand, base their calendar on the sun, the heat of which represents, in Kabbalah, the overwhelming power of the forces of evil.
The 15th of Av is even greater than the 15th say of other Jewish months since it immediately follows the low point of Tisha B’Av. The ascent from that low point to the 15th has the advantage of “light shining into darkness,” which makes it more effective and most appreciated.
The high point achieved on 15th Av – when the heat of the sun, representing the powers of evil, begins to diminish – is therefore a time to intensify the forces of holiness by studying more Torah at night and delving deeper into our studies, making both quantitative and qualitative improvements.
Other reasons the Talmud gives for celebrating 15th Av are connected to Jewish unity and love of one’s fellow Jew. So it’s an appropriate time to improve in these areas too, replacing the reason for this exile – “baseless hatred” – with unconditional love thereby bringing the ultimate ge’ulah of Moshiach, may he come now!
(Based on teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)