משנה מסכת תענית פרק ד משנה ח
ז] אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כחמשה עשר באב וכיום הכפורים שבהן בנות ירושלם יוצאות בכלי לבן שאולין שלא לבייש את מי שאין לו
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: “Israel had no greater days as festive as the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur. For on those days the maidens of Jerusalem would go out dressed in white garments that were borrowed, so as not to embarrass those maidens who were poor.” [Translation by Steven Exler]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Why does Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel consider these two days to be the most festive for the people of Israel?
2. Do economic discrepancies reduce the festiveness of an event?
3. What values can we learn from this text?
Time Period: Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)