HEBREW WORD STUDY – TU’B’AV – THE 15TH OF AV – טו באב   Teth Vav  Beth Aleph Beth

Song of Solomon 2:7: “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, That you do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases.”

In this poem of the Song of Solomon the bride or the Shulamite woman is madly in love with the King of the most powerful nation in the Middle East.  That is not so unusual, I imagine every other woman in the kingdom was enamored with the young, handsome, wise, rich and powerful king.  In this case, however, the King was also in love with this Shulamite woman.  They are not really together at this point but the time of their meeting is getting close and this young woman is getting a little nervous. She is, after all, just a mere peasant possibly a slave.  

In the month of Elul the king is in the field.  That is for one month out of the year, the king leaves his palace and wanders among his subjects.  He greets them like a real politician with a smile and praise for their loyalty.  This is the opportunity for the king to connect with his beloved peasants without any of the formal protocols demanded by his position. The Schulamite would be able approach the king without going through secretaries, ministers and protocol training. 

However, just a couple weeks before this time there is a very joyful event, although not so much for a lowly peasant woman. The event is known as Tu B’Av which means simply the 15th of Av, the month before Elul.  It is a minor holiday and not really recognized so much today.  It was a big thing during the time of the temple.  It is just six days after Tisha B’Av which is a national day of mourning, so they needed something joyful to pick up their spirits and Tu B’Av was just the ticket.

Tu B’Av marked the beginning of the grape harvest and of course from grapes you get wine and wine is a symbol of joy.  It doesn’t take a PhD to figure that out, drinking wine can make one joyful.  Yom Kippur marks the end of the grape harvest.  On both days the unmarried girls of Jerusalem, the daughters of Jerusalem would dress in white garments and go out dancing in the vineyards.  The Talmud in Tan’nit 30b-31a talks about this celebration and says that there is no holy days as happy for the Jews and Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur. 

After the first generation in the Promised Land the Jews were allowed to intermarry within the twelve tribes. Now normally marriages were arranged but there were occasions when a young man and young woman find themselves attracted to each other.  That is a real problem if the parents have other marital plans for their off spring.  However, during Tu’B’Av  all bets were off and the young people could choose their own brides and it would be such a joyful time that parents will go along with their child’s wishes thus avoiding any Romeo and Juliet entanglements.  

Unfortunately, for the Schulamite woman she was not a Daughter of Jerusalem and could not participate in the celebration. It is only a couple weeks before the month of Elul when the king would leave the palace and it is during the month of Elul that the second dance of the Daughters of Jerusalem would take place during Yom Kippur which the King was in the field. 

The Schulamite woman should be frantic.  The king would obviously be watching from his place window the events of Tu B’Av and all those young, beautiful and desirable woman dancing before his eyes, each probably doing their best to stand out among the rest in hopes that the kings gaze would fall upon them. Then when the next dance takes place, the king will be outside his palace and all protocol will cease and he can select any unmarried desirable woman he wishes., 

This brings us to Song of Solomon 2;7.  In verse six the Schulamite woman is day dreaming of the king taking her in his arms and embracing her when suddenly her attention is diverted to reality.  The Daughters of Jerusalem, her greatest  competitors are preparing for their Tu’B’A’v dance and she realized her beloved could taken by one of these beautiful, seductive, enticing women and where would that leave her. 

Her heart, however, cries out: “I adjure you.”  Who uses the word adjure now adays?  Do you know what that means?  Actually, the word in Hebrew is shava’ which means to take an oath.  She is taking an oath “By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field,”  These are better known to us as deer which are very sure footed.  Taking an oath by a deer or sure footed creature was old Hebraic idiom for taking a firm stand.  Not only is taking an oath committing you to a promise, but to do it in the name of a gazelle or hind made this an absolute certainty.  What is her oath?  That she is certain that these dancing unmarried women will not arouse or awaken the kings love until the king has a chance to meet with her when she will awaken that love in him.  “That you do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases” can also be read as: “Because you will not arose or awaken my love until she pleases.”  

She is reassuring herself that her earlier encounter with the king that sparked the love between them was still buried within him and no dancing unmarried women will unbury that love, only she can arouse that love. Yes, sir, this gal knows her man and knows that no woman will arouse the love in him like she can.  

How many times do you think: “Oh, God doesn’t really love me.  Now that preacher or that teacher He really loves him or her. I could never compete with them. I am just a peasant among God’s nobility.  Why should he listen to my prayers, why should he concern Himself with me.” 

Yet, God does love you just as much as the so called Christian nobility. Even if you are of so called low status like the Schulamite woman who was likely a slave. He has created his own little kingdom for you and Him alone. He will deal with the others in another time line, but for right now it is just you and Him and these other elites are not even a factor. Only you can arose His love. 

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