Rhythms in the Jewish holiday cycle occur as naturally as the peaks and valleys in our own lives. The ritual and psychological meanings attached to each holiday have prevailed and evolved throughout history. Though they have ancient roots, each holiday and fast has deep rooted meaning and lessons that we can apply today.

The commemoration of Tisha B'Av is behind us. Our fast is completed. Our mourning for what was still lingers enough for us to remember but far enough away that we can glimpse what lies ahead.

And, here enters Tisha B'Av (the fifteenth of Av), a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar. In the Mishnah, it is stated that Tu B'Av, along with Yom Kippur, are the most joyous holidays.

During the period of the Second Temple, Tu B'Av was a celebration of the wood offerings brought to the Temple. In our history, many happy and uplifting moments have occurred on Tu B'Av. During the forty years we wandered in the desert, there was a ban prohibiting marriage across the tribes. On Tu B'Av, this ban was lifted. Also, during the 40th year of our wandering through the desert, the last of the generations of the spies (those prohibited from entering the Promised Land) died - on Tu B'Av.

The seasonal changes around Tu B'Av mark the beginning of longer nights and an opportunity to study more Torah at night (A house in which Torah is heard at night will never be destroyed: Eruvin 18b). In ancient times, on Tu B'av, young single women would dress in white clothes and go out to the fields to dance where men would go looking for a match.

Tu B'Av today remains a holiday of love and joy. Though there are no specific observations, it is a popular day to hold a wedding. A bride and groom married on Tu B'Av do not fast as is the traditional custom of a bride and groom on their wedding day.

After the Three Weeks of mourning, the Nine Days within the Three Weeks, and their culmination on Tisha B'Av, we move from lows to highs. In today's time, it is a chance to reflect on all that has been "bad" and to look into the future where we can once again see the light, celebrate the joys that occur, and embrace happiness.