By Alex Rubin
During our weekend in Tzfat, Jamie took us on a tour of the city where we got to see its sites and discuss how just like Jerusalem, Tzfat is a city built on ancient history but that thrives with modern meaning.
Just outside the old city, Jamie brought us to the Cave of Shem and Ever, which tradition tells us is the beit midrash of Jacob and his children. We discussed the way ancient sites are turned into modern places of study and noticed the synagogue just across the path built into the side of a mountain.
On the other side of the mountain, we stopped to explore a fortress from the time of the crusaders at Metzuda. We walked through a dark tunnel until we made it to the inside of the fortress where we could see a plaza on top through a skylight. A short while later, we were looking down into the fortress from the top of the mountain where a memorial for Israeli soldiers who died in Tzfat in the 1948 War for Independence stands. It was another example of turning an old site into one with modern meaning, and one that offered spectacular views of the Galilee.
Our tour wandered through the Old City, as its inhabitants were enjoying Shabbat afternoon. We paused outside the Yosef Caro Synagogue, where its namesake, the famous rabbi studied. Caro is best known for writing the Shulhan Aruch, the codification of Jewish law. It was really special to hear from the Shulhan Aruch in the place that it was actually written and again brought the historic landmark into modern relevance.
Similarly, we spoke about Kaballah in the Ari shul, a synagogue named for HaAri, Isaac Luria, who used to pray in the fields adjacent to the synagogue. HaAri created the Kabbalat Shabbat service which is very familiar to us now. Kabbalat Shabbat to me is a time to transition from a busy week into the separate time of Shabbat. Coming to the place where it was created made spending Shabbat in Tzfat more meaningful, and added a real spiritual connection to our trip up north. We also mentioned modern history at the Ari Shul, as the bimah has a bullet hole in its side from the 1948 war. Miraculously nobody was killed in the attack, furthering the spiritual myth of the Ari Shul.
Our tour of Tzfat featured a mix of biblical, medieval, and contemporary landmarks, all with relevance in our lives today. It was an enlightening experience getting to know such a beautiful city in an intimate way. Despite it being my fourth trip to Tzfat, I found myself engaging in a new experience and really grasping the connections humans have shared throughout history at the various sites we saw. The tour felt enriching and renewing, and brought together a mystical Shabbat in Tzfat.
