Tzfat

Today we went to Tzfat (aka:Tzfas, Safed, Zefat, Tsfat, Zfat, Safad, Safet, Safes) the ancient and mystical city which is one of highest towns in Northern Eretz Yisrael.

On the way to Tzfat we stopped at Misgav Am, a kibbutz on the border of Northern Israel and Lebanon with a spectacular mountain top view.

When we arrived at Tzfat, the first stop was LUNCH. Naama arranged a home cooked meal in a very special restaurant, the house of a local family. (Notice their beds in the background)

We walked around the ancient town and learned some history. We sat down on the steps and discussed the holy places in Eretz Yisroel , and heard some stories.



Along the way, we went into a few well known shuls. In the Ari Shul we noticed that the crown over the Aron (where the Torah is kept) is leaning downward toward the congregation insinuating that everyone can learn Torah. During the 1948 war, Arabs surrounded the shul. The Jews were davening shmonah esrei and a gun shot flew through the door. The bullet hit the bimah instead of the man standing in front of it because at that moment he was bowing down for Modim. The bullet hole still remains on public display and visitors can stick notes in the space.

The Abohav Shul was named after Rabbi Issac Abohav , a sage of the 1400's; it contains an ancient Torah scroll said to have been written by the Rabbi himself.

On the way home, we davend Mincha in Meiron at the Kever (grave) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and learned the story of how he hid in a cave from the Romans for twelve years and uncovered all the secrets of the Torah (kaballah) and authored the mystical Zohar.