Day 11 - Lehava - Sam
What do we associate with the eternal homeland of the Jewish people, Israel? Perhaps it’s the incredible food, great drives, or the embellishment of the unique Israeli culture into our lives. I’m not exactly sure, but it is definitely not the 6am wake up calls such as this morning!
Our travels after our departure from the incredible Ramat Rachel Hotel to Tzfat, allowed us to reflect. With the faint sounds of Hebrew music being played in the background, the perfect picture was painted; we absorbed the bustling and thought provoking atmosphere of Israel.
Today the girls were split from the boys; both going on different buses and perusing their own paths. The boys visited a place that all of us are sure to never forget, the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. I had previously been to Israel, however, I had never seen a place such as this. All Jews, whether it be Secular, Modern Orthodox, Zionist, Charedi, women with or without skirts, all coming together in one place to pray at this Rav’s grave. After visiting Poland we understood the significance behind praying at a place such as this as we had done it throughout our Poland trip on various occasions. The purpose is to pray for things that you want or need, and at places such as this your prayers are elevated to hopefully be answered by Hashem. The grave brought out unfamiliar feelings, first time experiences and for some an adventure that is ultimately unique only in a place like Israel.
After a bus ride of needing to “process” what we saw and “gather our thoughts” about this funny and exciting experience, we travelled to a breathtaking view overlooking the North of Israel, including Tzfat and other towns within the valley. Tzvat is one of the four Holy Cities and has been appropriately named as the Windy City due to incredibly strong gusts of wind that flow through the calming ancient cobblestone streets. In Tzfat we were given vouchers for free meals at various restaurants. After an hour of free time eating the most delicious food and trying our best to order in Hebrew, a language that we all like to think we understand, we walked the holy streets.
Walking through the archaic streets we could feel hundreds of years of Jewish heritage coming alive. The light blue paint across the city allowed us to connect and think about the incredible place we were in and the inspiring stories we were being told. We followed the path of Jewish Kabbalists and famous rabbis, including the AR”I, a Rabbi who lived in Tzfat during the 1560s. We visited his Shule, which was converted into the Yeshiva Hahasder. There we had the most meaningful experience singing and dancing with the men at the Yeshiva, who were complete strangers to us. A flute, tambourine, drums and a tzedakah box being used as a shaker, made up the accompanying instrumentals, bringing an abundance of uniqueness to the Mincha we davened there. I truly connected with the surroundings and special atmosphere within the Yeshiva as we danced around the bimah. I understood why Tzfat is such a holy place full of tzadikkim. What an incredible and impactful place to visit!
We then proceeded on a spiritual journey down Tzfat to the Mikveh HaAR”I. There we were given the opportunity to cleanse and immerse ourselves in the Mikveh water. The AR”I’s mikveh is internationally known as the most famous in the world, due to its ability to change peoples’ lives. We watched as the sun set over the spectacular mountainside and the ancient cemetery beneath us.
After our dinner at Ein Sivan, the Kibbutz that we will be spending the next 5 days at, everyone was given the option to either participate in a Zumba class, Krav Maga lesson or to learn with some of our madrichim.
After what can only be described as a boys day to never forget, we are all very excited for tomorrow to experience our second Shabbat on IST, but our first special Shabbat in Israel!
