By Peter Young
I was very excited to go on our first shabbaton. Tzfat is a magical place known as one of the four holy cities. Since being in Israel, I have felt a strong spiritual connection to Jerusalem, but getting the opportunity to spend Shabbat in Tzfat got me very excited as I hoped to explore another level of my spirituality. Our time in Tzfat had a number of ups and downs for me, and it wasn't at all what I expected. However, it was still a great weekend filled with important experiences.
One of my favorite parts of the weekend was a hike we took on Sunday through the hills of the north to the grave of Rabbi Yonatan Ben Uzziel. Throughout my experiences here in Israel I have come to realize that I feel a strong connection to the physical land of Israel itself. Consequently, anytime we get an opportunity to hike and explore the land I enjoy it immensely. This hike was no different. We were able to explore ancient ruins, see breath-taking views, and finish at the famed grave of Rabbi Yonatan Ben Uzziel. What makes this grave special is the tradition that many people have to pray there to find a partner/ spouse. What I had heard about the grave did have an impact on my reaction to it. When I heard that people went there to pray for love I wasn't really expecting there to be a separation between a men's and women's section. It seems slightly counterproductive to me to separate a man and a woman who are both looking for love.However, after being at the grave and experiencing the focus and spirituality of a few people at the grave, I remembered what the grave actually was.
Before it became a place of prayer for love, it was the grave of a highly spiritual rabbi. People don't necessarily go there to find someone to love, they go to feel a spiritual connection and pray for help just like many other holy places. Really the only difference is what they need help with. After the experience at the grave I had a very different perspective about it than when I first heard about it and it truly was a great end to a wonderful day of hiking and learning.
