DVAR TORAH This Erev Shabbat will be Tu B'av (15th of Av), which was in times of the prophets and Chazal, a day of great celebration. Among the reasons for this celebration was because it was on this date that the remains of the Jews massacred at Beitar (the final battle of the Bar Kochba Revolt 135 CE) were finally buried.
In recognition of this, and of the miracle that accompanied it, our sages added the fourth blessing to Birkat Hamazon, the blessing of "HaTov V'HaMeitiv." "HaTov - for the miracle that the bodies did not decompose, and HaMeitiv - that they were finally permitted to be buried" [Brachot 48b].
But why add this blessing to the Birkat Hamazon? What is the connection between the tragedy of Beitar and "bentsching"?
According to Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk it is because Birkat Hamazon reminds us "why" we eat - to maintain the strength to fulfill G-d's Torah. But even more, the specifics of Birkat Hamazon deal with the creation of a Jewish nation - beginning with the forty years in the desert when G-d fed us the manna (the 1st blessing written by Moshe); the conquest of the land (the 2nd blessing composed by Yehoshua); and the building of Yerushalayim and the Temple (the 3rd blessing authored by King David).
But then, the Temple was destroyed, and the Jews faced a terrible exile, and they did not know what the future would bring.
It was at that point, explained Reb Meir Simcha that the miracle of Beitar occurred. As witnesses to this miracle, our sages saw evidence that through G-d's grace the Jewish people would survive.
Therefore, they added the 4th blessing to the Birkat Hamazon - thanking G-d not just for the building of a nation ("binyan ha'uma") but the survival of the nation ("kiyum ha'uma"). [Meshech Chochma, Deut. 8:10; and also, Rav Kook in Siddur Olat Re'eya I, pp. 361-3). HALACHA OF THE WEEK: Tu B’Av Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel stated, "Israel had no holidays as joyous as Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur when the young women of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards." [Mishna Ta'anit 4:8]. As a result, we do not recite tachanun on this date.
But even more than that, our sages compared Tu B'Av to Yom Kippur. Why?
The Talmud [Baba Batra 121a] gives six reasons to rejoice on Tu B'Av:
1. On this day, members of the different tribes were granted permission to marry one another.
2. Following the tragedy "Pilegesh Bagiv'a" [Shoftim 21], the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out, except for six hundred young men who managed to escape. At first, the other tribes refused to marry these survivors, but on the 15th of Av, they regretted that oath and began to marry into Benjamin, thus saving it from extinction.
3. In the fortieth year in the desert, on the 15th of Av, the Jews realized that the members of the "Desert Generation" had stopped dying. This proved to them that they were about to enter the Land of Israel.
4. On this date, Hoshea, one of the last kings of the Northern Kingdom, allowed his subjects to finally travel to Jerusalem to the Beit HaMikdash.
5. On the 15th of Av, the remains of the Jews of Beitar, who were massacred during the Bar Kochba revolt, were allowed to be buried.
6. From Tu B'Av, the days become shorter, and the sun was no longer strong enough to dry out freshly cut logs. Therefore, trees were cut down for wood for the mizbeach. This date was nicknamed "Axe-breaking Day" [Ta'anit 31a; Rashi op. cit.].
Rav Shlomo Aviner notes that all six of these incidents have one thing in common - on this day, different segments of the Jewish nation were united. In this sense, Tu B'Av is the antithesis of Tisha B'Av when baseless hatred and division caused the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. Instead, on Tu B'Av there was unity and a deep connection to Israel and the Beit HaMikdash – for that we can truly rejoice!
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MAZAL TOV * to Hillel and Leah Shapiro on the birth of a granddaughter. The proud parents are Zevi and Sheva Shapiro (Israel). Special Mazal Tov to great grandmothers, Mrs. Eva Gertzfeld and Mrs. Elizabeth Shapiro.
* to Alan and Jodi Gershman on the birth of a granddaughter. The proud parents are Elka and Yosef Kirschner (Cincinnati). Special Mazal Tov to great grandparents Sheldon and Toby Kirshner.
* to Marc and Miriam Sommer on the birth of a great granddaughter. The proud parents are Shmueli and Etti Becher (Beitar).
* to Avigdor and Ahuva Horowitz on the Auf Ruf of their son, Shmuel and on his upcoming marriage to Chana Bajtner, daughter of Gary and Dena Bajtner. Mazal Tov to grandparents Dov and Pam Solomon, Yaakov and Charlotte Horowitz and Arnold and Paula Gassel.
* to Rabbi Azi and Shari Feifel on the upcoming marriage of their daughter Eliana, to Jason Selensy, son of Dina and Steven Selensy (Israel).
* to Ephraim Rimel on his upcoming marriage to Ayelet Kolman (Israel). Mazal tov to parents, Rabbi Yogi and Shu Rimel.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Mrs. Marion Reiss who is recuperating at home.
SPONSORS @ KINS To sponsor a Kiddush, donate to the Kiddush Fund or Learning Fund please click here.
A Kiddush Fund Donation was made by Marc and Miriam Sommer in honor of the birth of a great granddaughter.
KINS Main Kiddush is sponsored by MJ and Rachel Weinberger in honor of their daughter, Sadie.
KINS North Kiddush is sponsored by Avigdor and Ahuva Horowitz in honor of the Auf Ruf of their son, Shmuel and his upcoming marriage to Chana Bajtner, daughter of Gary and Dena Bajtner.
NEXT WEEK @ KINS NORTH - IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Next week, August 19-20, the JCC will be closed for electrical repairs. Please note the changes for minyanim:
Friday evening August 19th – Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat will be at 7:00 PM in the Levinson backyard tent, 3133 W. Sherwin.
Shabbat morning, August 20 – everyone is invited to join at KINS Main at, 9:00 AM.
Shabbat Mincha- location of your choice.
Motzei Shabbat Maariv – 8:25 PM in the Levinson backyard tent, 3133 W. Sherwin.
DAYTIME DIALOGUES: Wednesdays at noon 30 MINUTES OF PARSHA, Thurs. 8:00pm/Shabbat 8:30am
SEMICHAT CHAVER PROGRAM,– Wednesdays at 8:15pm
SHABBAT WOMEN'S SHIUR – 5:00pm
TALMUD CLASS – 45 minutes before mincha
SEFER NECHEMIA - Sundays 9:00am (begins 8/21) - NEW!
BIRTHDAYS Yair Aberman (8/14) Benjamin Katz (8/14) Yehoshua Kleinman (8/14) Mrs. Ayelet Leibtag (8/15) Akiva Leibtag (8/15) Mrs. Rebecca Starck (8/15) Mrs. Rena Berkowitz (8/16) Ezra Weil (8/16) Mr. Michael Aberman (8/17) Dr. Dean Bell (8/17) Mr. Avi Zisook (8/18) Eliana Aberman (8/19)
ANNIVERSARIES James and Aviva Matanky (8/13) Barry and Elaine Semer (8/13) Howard and Ilana Karesh (8/14) Rabbi Tzvi Yaakov & Rifka Miretzky (8/15) Michael and Tova Perl (8/15) Ari and Sarah Nussbaum (8/16) Rabbi Reuven & Meira Gottesman (8/17) Chaim and Judy Reich (8/17) Dr. Leonard and Yafa Levitt (8/18) Henry and Marlene Wasserstrom (8/18) Rabbi David & Frances Rosenberg (8/19) William and Maureen Russman (8/19)
Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park Main: 2800 W. North Shore Ave & North: 3003 West Touhy • Chicago, IL 60645 P 773.761.4000 • F 773.761.4959 • www.congkins.org
SEMICHAT CHAVER PROGRAM,– Wednesdays at 8:15pm
SHABBAT WOMEN'S SHIUR – 5:00pm 
TALMUD CLASS – 45 minutes before mincha 
