This past Sunday, we went to Tzefat, or Safed, the highest city in the Galilee. (It is located next to Mt. Meron in the Golan Heights, the highest point in Israel.)
Safed rose to fame in the 16th century as a center of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many rabbis found their way to Israel, although they were not permitted to go to Jerusalem. These rabbis included Isaac Luria (teacher of the Zohar, the original book of the Kabbalah) and Joseph Caro (author of the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, written in Safed). The beautiful hymn "L'chah Dodi," sung on Friday night to welcome the Sabbath, was written in Safed: standing in the courtyard of the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, the rabbis could look out to the west, see the sun setting over Mt. Meron, and know exactly when Shabbat was coming.
Safed has many beautiful synagogues, both old and new, and is known for its Artist's Quarter. In fact, we met famous microcalligrapher Leon Azoulay, whose seriograph "Bereshit" adorns our dining room. We now are proud to own his "Bamidbar" as well.
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