<B>Dream Mantle:</B> Dreams of Purple

Vision of the Cluster of Ripened Grapes

During last night’s worship time, the Lord had Donna lead. We were all in one accord in worship and adoration of our King. The Lord gave me a vision of a cluster of grapes. I asked Him if he was talking about crushing grapes in the end times. He said no, look it up. So he led me to a site. What he wanted me to see was his Purpose for these groups that he has put into my care. The harvest of grapes and oil are almost during the very same time, and within the same season. Prepare the Bride for His Coming! Father was talking to me about Tu B’Av a very “ insignificant” Jewish festival.

 

These quotes are taken from various Jewish articles on the internet There is much more than this to the festival. There is a long history including the second set of tables given on the Mount. I encourage you to look into this amazing " minor" festival further for your own edification 

 

EasternFire Ministries

 

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"The grape harvest or batzir takes place around mid-summer. In ancient Israel this was the backdrop to the festival of Tu B'Av when the single women would go out into the vineyards in borrowed white dresses and dance in the hope of attracting a husband (see Mishnah Ta'anit 4:8).  

 

Some researchers, such as Noga Hereuveni from the Neot Kedumim biblical nature reserve  believe that these festivities took place in the olive orchards, as this is also the season when the olives begin to develop their oil. The Hebrew kerem (plural kramim) can denote both a vineyard and an olive orchard.

The olive harvest or yitzhar lasts from the autumn to the start of winter, roughly from Sukkot(Tabernacles), also known as Hag Ha-Asif, the gathering festival, to the festival of Hannukah, one of whose central themes is the miracle of the little jar of olive oil, only enough to light the Temple lamp for one day, which lasted for eight days, long enough for fresh oil to be pressed from the new season's olives. In modern Israel there is an olive harvest festival in the Galilee around Sukkot, with special activities including of course the pressing of olives and other stages in the manufacture of olive oil

For most of us, Tu B'Av (Fifteenth Av) is a minor festival that is eclipsed by the intensity of Tisha B'av. Without any special commandments, prohibitions or rituals, it seems to pale next to the other holidays.

Tu B'Av may be a minor festival, yet it has been blessed with several scintillating names that belie its relative insignificance. These names give us a clue as to the positive thrust of the day:

• The Holiday of the Grape Harvest

• The Holiday of Unity

• The Holiday of Love

• The Festival of the Lord

• The "Day of the Breaking of the

          Hatchets."

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The final mishna of Massekhet Ta'anit (26b) concludes with a famous discussion concerning Tu Be-av and Yom Kippur: "Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said, 'There were no better days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, when the maidens of Jerusalem would go out ... and dance in the vineyards." The gemara (30b) elaborates: "The reason for Yom Kippur is clear, since on this day we achieve forgiveness and atonement; it was the day on which the second set of tablets were given. But what about Tu Be-av..."

 

Further on in the sugya, six different possibilities are suggested as to the reason for rejoicing on Tu Be-av: 1) It was the day on which members of different tribes were first permitted to marry each other. 2) It was the day on which the tribe of Binyamin was permitted to rejoin and marry into the nation. 3) This day marked the end of the deaths of the generation which wandered in the desert. 4) On this day Hoshea ben Elah removed the road-blocks which Yerav'am ben Nevat had placed on the roads to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem. 5) On this day the Romans allowed those who fell defending Betar to be buried. 6) This was the day when the cutting of wood for the mizbe'ach (altar) was completed.

 

The Joy of Marriage
From time immemorial, the essential strength of Jewish holiness found expression in the restrictions regarding modesty. The joy of marriage is therefore paramount. For when marriage is performed according to the spirit of the Torah, it is a sign that the entire life of Israel is sacred. For this reason the Sages said that a groom is forgiven his sins on his wedding day; he starts his new life in sanctity without a 'basket of sins hanging behind him.'

Another reason given for forgiving the groom is that should some unhappy event occur in the new home, the husband or wife would be unable to cast the blame upon each other's misdeeds before marriage. Thus days when God forgave sins, such as Yom Kippur and Tu B'Av, became highly appropriate days for weddings or events that would lead to a successful match.

 

No Days as Festive...
Thus did the Sages say:

"No days were as festive to Israel as the Fifteenth Av and Yom Kippur. On those days, the daughters of Jerusalem used to go out dressed in white, wearing borrowed garments (so that all might be equal).... And all Israel borrowed from one another, in order not to shame the poor.

... And the daughters of Jerusalem went out and danced in the vineyards (outside the city). Whoever had no wife went there.

And what did they say? 'O youth! Lift up your eyes and see what you choose. Do not set your eyes on beauty. Set your eyes on family. False is charm and vain is beauty; a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

 

Great Sanctity
And the Sages added:

"Come and learn how great was the sanctity of these two festival days! For on all other holidays emissaries of the Bet Din (religious court) went out to places of gathering and set up a separation between men and women to prevent a spirit of levity. On these festival days, however, there was no need for such separation, since all Israel erected about themselves fences of ... holiness."

 

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