Benjamin in the Days of Moses

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788:16

Indeed, the tribe of Benjamin used to speak [a coded language] (written in the hint of the year 775). There were no festive days for the Israelites like the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur. Regarding Yom Kippur, it is a day of forgiveness and atonement [the day the second tablets were given]. But why is the fifteenth of Av [considered special]? Rav Yehuda said, it is the day when the tribes were allowed to intermarry. What is the scriptural source for this? "This is the thing that the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad." This matter only applies to this generation. Rav Nachman said, it was the day when the deaths in the desert ceased, as our Master said, as long as the deaths in the desert were not finished, there was no communication with Moses. As it is written, "And it came to pass when all the men of war had completely ceased to die." And it is written, "And the Lord spoke to me, saying, 'You have gone through enough of this.'"

Themes