A Visit To The Baal Shem Tov Forest And The Gravesite Of Rebbi Shimon Ben Menasya

Not far from our home in Northern Israel there is a forest called the Baal Shem Tov forest, and within that very forest is a very special place: the burial site of the Tanna, Rebbi Shimon Ben Manasya. We visited this site in the Spring (though I am just getting around to sharing it with you now, sorry about that!) and with not a soul in sight we enjoyed every minute of this little adventure!

As it turns out, most of the burial spots of great sages tend to be located in special places with amazing views, and this site is no exception, you must visit sometime if you ever find yourself driving the road between Meron and The Holy City of Tsfat!

One particularly stunning aspect of this location are the interesting rocks! With no personal knowledge of Geology I really can't tell you how the rocks got these large holes in them, but it sure is a wonderful site to behold! I just read that this site is described as a quarry, does that explain those holes?

 And of course the kind of photo opportunity that a gal like me would surely not miss!

Note: Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya was a fifth generation Tana, a student of Rabbi Meir and an acquaintance of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi. After the demise of Hadrien and the nulification of his decrees, Rebbe Shimon ben Minasya helped re-establish the Jewish community in Jerusalem.

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