בס"ד
I spent Shabbos parshas Shlach (שלח) in Tsafat (Safed צפַת). I had visited the city on my three trips to Israel as a tourist. On the last visit, when I was a student in Yeshiva Ohr Somayach, I was a guest of Shabbatai Kuben. After I made aliya I’d regularly be a guest of his for Shabbos. He was a big talmid hacham (religious scholar - תַלמִיד חַכַם) who earned a living through his business selling very high quality lulavim (palm branches) for Succos. Sadly he passed away before 2000 and since then, I have made very few trips there.
My knowledge of Tsafat goes back to my childhood Jewish education in Congregation Beth Shalom. We learned of its mystical tradition, that is was the burial place of the composer of the hymn L’cha Dodi (לכה דודי) Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, its mountain pure air, and proximity to Mount Meron. Later on I read a fictionalized historical story set there in the book, “The Source” by Robert Michener.
The city goes back to Biblical times and probably predates the Patriarchs. It has a powerful allure and I felt it very young. A major battle was fought there during the War of Independence in 1948. Later the fledgling State of Israel set up an artist’s colony in the old city. The buildings there are often vacant, old, and being renovated. Many murals are painted on the walls and the artwork there in general is often reminiscent of my own compositions.
Tsafat is reckoned as one of the four holy cities in Israel which correspond to the four foundations; Jerusalem corresponds to fire, Hevron to dust, and Tiberia to water. Tsafat corresponds to air, which is especially apt. The mystical tradition is omnipresent and can be felt in the pure mountain air. The landscape is quite beautiful. The atmosphere generally is very relaxing. There is a large yeshiva student population typically very idealistic. It is also home to many 1960 - 70s flower children (perhaps myself among them), many of which are single, who really influence the ambience
I was invited up to Tsafat by my friend Michael. We first met when I was a new immigrant. A common friend, Jack, had recently had a nervous breakdown. Another person in our group, Ben Tsion, took the two of us to see him and convey the message that if he needed any help, he should feel free to talk to us.
After that Michael invited me to his home for Shabbos many times. While living in Bet Shemesh, he built an addition to his home to be a studio apartment for his mother, when she was widowed and old. He served as chair of the building committee, which often is a chore requiring expertise. When his children got married, he moved to Tsafat, and rented out the place with me taking the smaller section. He was born in England and worked as a computer manager.
I had the honor of being his first Shabbos guest in his new place. We emailed each other about the arrangements. It was going to be something like the singles scene I was a part of on Manhattan’s upper West Side in the early 80’s. Thursday at 10:00 I started the trip, catching the 597 bus to B’nei Brak then transferring to 981 to Tsafat. It was pushing 2:00 when I arrived. The old city can be tricky and it had been years since I had spent time there, so Michael met me at the bus stop. We went out for a shwarma then I dropped my bag off at his place and rested up a bit.
We went shopping for Shabbat that evening and the next morning. Jerusalem Street is the central business district and there were stores down the street from his apartment. We got catered food and did some cooking. For services in the morning I went to Ari Ashkenazi shul. It had housed Rabbi Fivelson’s collel when it was one of my old haunts. In the evening I went to Breslav. Michael and I had a nice Shabbos meal in the apartment. The next morning he dovened at sunrise. I slept later and went to the mikva of the Ari then to the Bet Midrash of Shem v’Eber.
The Ari mikva is named after the prominent mystic Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572). He lived in Tsafat and is reputed to have used it regularly. The source of its water is a pure underground spring that is constantly flowing. It is located on the edge of the ancient cemetery. According to religious lore taking dip in it is a segula (lure - סגוּלָה) for tshuvah (repentance - תשוּבָה). It is especially popular among yeshiva students, hasidim, and hippie types. All of this does make an impression on someone who goes into it.
The Yeshiva of Shem and Ever is prominently mentioned in the commentaries on the Bible, especially in the verse which says that Rivka, our matriarch, inquired of Hashem because of her difficult pregnancy. Rashi explains that this was the yeshiva of Shem the son of Noah (see Genesis 25:23). There are also Midrashim that say all three of the patriarchs learned there.
I took a break during services and asked the locals if the shul was the site of this yeshiva. I was directed to a large cave in the yard where they were having a large Kiddush. They explained that there was an ancient burial vault there but were generally hazy.
For Shabbos lunch we were guests of Michael’s friend Laurie. There were ten people at her table. There was one couple and the rest were unmarried around my age except for one college student. All of them were native English speakers. The large Shabbos table with many guests is a well known practice. The hosts that do it love it and cheerfully accept the honor that is rightfully heaped on them for doing so. It was a vegetarian health food meal with fish, cheese, a variety of salads, and copious wine. Following the popular practice, each person was asked to talk about themselves and whatever else was on their mind. Because politics can be quite sharp, its discussion was curtailed.
I used this as an opportunity to practice memory techniques to recall names. Two of the speakers did catch my attention. Susan was publisher of a local periodical and versed in the lore of Tsafat. I asked her about the cave of Shem and Ever. She proudly displayed her erudition and replied that according to local legend this is the actual site. She continued that it was notable as the first place human beings gathered on a daily basis for study. It would seem that there has been some archeological activity there, but I’d be skeptical about the position of the State of Israel Department of Antiquities.
There was another star gazer like myself. I commented that I had seen a bright star in the west at sunset and suggested that it was probably Venus. I was uncertain because, when low, it had a red tint. Phyllis, who apparently was following it, gave a positive identification and pointed out that stars as they get close to the horizon can turn reddish, often because of the atmosphere.
Towards the end of the trip I was able to use my tablet to join my family's weekly Zoom conference. I returned to my place in time to go to an engagement party. Unfortunately I was tired and conked out and didn't wake until the middle of the night. All in all it was a very nice trip and I wish Michael a יִשוּב טוֹב (Good stay or good town) in his new place.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
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