Tzfas: A Trip to the City of the Arizal and the Beis Yosef צפת: א טריפ צו דער שטאט פונעם אריז"ל און דעם בית יוסף

High in the mountains of the Galil, looking out at Mount Meron, lies Tzfas — one of the four holy cities of Eretz Yisroel. Walking through its narrow alleys, you feel that this was the home of Kabbalah and halacha.

The Gedolim of Tzfas

According to Wikipedia, after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, many great rabbis arrived in Tzfas: the holy Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria), the Ramak (Rabbi Moshe Cordovero), the Beis Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch), and Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, who composed "Lecha Dodi".

According to the safed-home website, the Beis Yosef arrived in Tzfas in 1536 and served as rav and av beis din of the city until his passing.

The Ancient Shuls

The synagogue quarter of the old city has shuls named after the gedolim: Abuhav, Alshich, Karo, and two named after the Arizal — one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi.

• The Abuhav Shul — built in the 15th century and named after Rabbi Yitzchak Abuhav, author of "Menoras Hamaor". On Lag Baomer a fire is lit in its courtyard for the sick and elderly who cannot travel to Meron.
• The Arizal's Sephardi Shul — by tradition, the Arizal learned there with Eliyahu Hanavi in a small cave in the eastern wall. The shul has three aronos kodesh and looks out over Meron.
• The Beis Yosef Shul — first built in the 16th century as a beis medrash, and rebuilt after the earthquake of 1759.

The Cemetery and the Mikveh

Not far from the shul is the Arizal's mikveh — for men only, with cold spring water. From there you walk down to the old cemetery, where you find the kevarim of the Arizal, the Ramak and Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, next to one another.

The Artists' Quarter

The artists' quarter has galleries and a building that exhibits work by the artists of Tzfas. A good place to buy a beautiful mezuzah case or a picture for the home.

Tips

• Wear comfortable shoes: the alleys are steep.
• Meron is close — many make a day of both.
• Join a shiur or a tefillah in one of the old shuls — that is the real taste of Tzfas.