Each year on Parashat Lech Lecha, which coincides with the second Shabbat of Choref Zman, Yeshivat Hakotel has a shabbaton in Tzfat. Unfortunately, due to the war, and Hezbollah’s shelling of northern Israel, this weekend was indefinitely postponed. Weeks passed, and I assumed, like so many Shana Aleph activities this year, that the Tzfat Shabbaton would not be rescheduled. Happily I was wrong and we spent Shabbat in Tzfat during the week of Parashat Terumah, February 16-17.
On Friday morning, at 9:45 a.m., we boarded a bus headed to Tzfat. Along the way we stopped in Teverya and recited Tehillim at the kevarim of Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the Ramchal), Rebbe Akiva, and the Rambam. I immersed myself in prayer at these shrines, reflecting on the upheaval of the last four months, and praying for peace and safety for our people, especially the displaced residents of the North. With a solemn tone set we resumed our journey to Tzfat.
We arrived at our hostel in the late afternoon, leaving us with only ninety minutes to get ready. While some stayed to unpack, I opted to join a small group of friends for an erev Shabbat immersion in the frigid waters of the Arizal’s mikvah.
Kabbalat Shabbat was celebrated outdoors. A dense fog cocooned our group and I am sure I was not alone in feeling like we were within the Ananei HaKavod, the supernatural cloud cover that protected the ancient Israelites from harm. Despite limited visibility, the faint outline of the mountains were recognizable. After Kabbalat Shabbat, we davened Ma’ariv in the Breslov shul, which highlighted the long history of chassidut in the area.
We had our seudah at our hostel and it was filled with good food, singing, and many divrei Torah. Unquestionably, the highlight of our Friday night was the Q&A session led by Yeshivat HaKotel Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Baruch Wieder, shlita, which was followed by a ruach-filled tisch.
On Shabbat morning we gathered in the Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, which was built in memory of the Kabbalistic master, Rav Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal. The shul dates back to the mid nineteenth century and is known for its breathtakingly ornate aron. Many miraculous events are ascribed to this shul, including protecting sheltering Jews from a bomb, which would have otherwise inflicted massive casualties, during Israel’s War of Independence.
It rained heavily over Shabbat and our walking tour of Tzfat was canceled. Instead, my friends and I explored the area on our own, taking in the sights and doing our best to identify various landmarks. As Shabbat drew to a close, we gathered for an inspirational kumzitz in a Crusader era cistern.
Motzaei Shabbat we visited with Sheva Chaya, a glass blowing artist, originally from Denver. Last year, when my brother Reuben was on his Tzfat trip, he was so enamored with her work that he urged my parents, aunts, and uncles to commission a kiddush cup from her for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. My Zaida and Bubby, Dr. Ezra and Manette Gampel, love their kos and it is proudly displayed in the curio cabinet in their dining room. My Zaida is waiting until the Pesach Seder to use it for the first time.
Our Tzfat Shabbaton, although delayed, definitely lived up to its reputation as one of the best shabbatonim of the year. Tzfat is a uniquely historic and holy city that is populated by an eclectic group of Jews. It would be a thrill to spend Shabbat there during calmer times, but now, during the war, it felt even more important to spend time in a place that is such an essential part of the Jewish experience.
Josiah N. Gampel graduated from DRS Yeshiva High School and is now learning at Yeshivat Hakotel. Josiah was chosen to receive the 5TJT Student Journalism Award in 2023.
