Israel: Meron
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Sunset Over Mount Meron On Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Chodesh tov, wishing you a joyful new month, dear readers! Every month on the Jewish calendar has its own special qualities, and the first day of the month, rosh chodesh, is a mini holiday of sorts. We have a special affection for the cycle of the year and the numerous celebrations it includes as well as the periods of mourning and fast days to remember the sad times. As it turns out, the month of Sivan contains the special holiday of Shavuot, on which we celebrate the giving of the Torah, and receive the Torah each and every year. The four days between the beginning of the month of Sivan…
- Israel: Ancient Burial Sites, Israel: Holy Sites, Israel: Meron, Israel: Northern, Israel: Tsfat, Safed
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…
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The Gravesite Of Elkana, Father Of Shmuel HaNavi
This Passover vacation we took small trips close to home, and at long last visited some favorite sites that I hadn't been to in at least 15 years, and thus had yet to share with my little ones. Introducing one of my all time favorites, the burial cave of Elkana, the father of Shmuel HaNavi (Samuel the Prophet)! It is almost hard to wrap one's head around the fact that this site, on the road between Tsfat and Meron, in the Northern Gallilee area called Kadita, is thousands of years old! (!0th Century BCE) As with all historic burial caves, a small building has been erected over the cave, to…
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The Idra Raba Cave Of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai Near Meron
This Passover holiday I have the personal goal of visiting some of the many holy sites that are very close to our home and that I have visited many years ago, but never with my family! We pass the Idra Raba Cave every time we visit Meron, and yet I have never been successful at getting my husband to stop the car for a visit. Until yesterday that is, when this very special historical spot was actually our destination! The Idra Raba Cave can be found on the Tsfat-Meron road, around 10 minutes west of Tsfat, and was discovered by the Ari HaKodesh, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria in the 16th century!…
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An Amazing Archeological Site In Meron, Midrash Rashbi
On the last day of Hanukkah we took a little trip to Meron, to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and just as we were about to get in the car I at long last had the opportunity to take my kids to one of my favorite places, the archeological site of the actual yeshiva of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, referred to as Midrash Rashbi. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai left this world around 200 CE, so this site is around 2,000 years old, can you imagine that?
