We are in the middle of our Passover holiday, and blessed with fantastic weather, we have been able to explore some gorgeous spots not far from home. At long last I was able to convince my husband to visit the gravesite of the Tanna, Yehuda Ben Taima, located on a somewhat remote hilltop in the moshav of Dalton. Yes, in case you are familiar with good Israeli wines, this is the same Dalton as the very good wine, do try it if you haven't! (This area in the Galil has weather much like that of the Napa Valley, though a bit colder, and also produces excellent grapes, and award winning wines.) Whoops enough about wine, back to more about this very special Tanna, and his amazing burial site, that should not be missed!
Above: A view of a vineyard that you will see at the head of the trail where you will park.
Since I do think that there are some readers who may actually take my advice and visit this holy spot (that also happens to be incredibly gorgeous, virtually devoid of humans, though very full of cows and bulls and some wild donkeys!) I though I'd give you a little photo guide as if you've never been here, finding the spot may be just a bit difficult. I was here about 15 years ago, and fortunately remembered enough to get us there! Okay, so you enter the main gates of the Moshav Dalton, and you go straight. You basically want to end up at the far left hand corner of the moshav, and there are really only two roads that will get you there, so just keep driving, and if you have to turn, turn left, or follow the road as it winds around to the left. You may pass the graveyard, and then the gravesite of Hillel HaZakain, on your right. Keep going until you reach a sign marking the grave, and a spot that looks like the photo above.
Start walking down the red dirt road (it could be muddy if you come in rainy season, so keep that in mind) and enjoy the vineyards on your left. We came across many cows, and even a pack of about six or seven little calves, which caused much commotion as suddenly all the mother cows started to moo for their babies!
And then we came across what appear to be some wildish donkeys, and it turns out that the shoulder stripe seen here is more marked in breeds closest to the wild African ancestors of the domestic donkey. I guess that makes sense, since one could even walk to Africa from here if you really wanted to (theoretically.)
Okay, after about 15 or so minutes, the clearly marked dirt road will come to an end, and there is an open gate and this sign. I knew over which rocks to scramble to reach the Tanna, but you should follow the little path which may be hard to see, but goes from sign to sign, more or less.
We took a bit of a shortcut, but you can see two of the signs marking the path in this photo, above.
The area is filled with rocky meadows and lovely trees. Keep going but watch your step!
You will be climbing a little hill, and will come to an area where you start to see an amazing view which includes Mt. Hermon, Israel's tallest mountain. It is in this photo but hard to discern.
Ahhhh, the view is lovely, and the breeze is refreshing. Keep going.
And you may come across a cow or two, this one is particularly photogenic! Keep going.
And before you know it, you will sight the gravesite, and if you are like me it will take your breath away!
My nine year old knows just what to do at such a holy place. Not to mention that he loves posing for photos! Take a seat and reflect on the amazing location and the amazing fact that you have been blessed with the opportunity to visit such a gorgeous place with history spanning thousands of years. If you have kids with you, talk to them about the famous saying for which the Tanna Yehuda Ben Taima is known, which is:
In Mishna 5:23 of Pirke Avot, Yehuda Ben Taima advises us to be " bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion to carry out the will of your Father in Heaven"
Oh, and by the way, since you may be wondering what a Tanna is, I thought I'd fill you in:The Tannaim, who laid out the Mishnah, lived and taught between the Jewish years 3770 and 3960 (10–200 C.E..). During a very tragic era in Jewish history, when the Second Temple was destroyed and thousands were slaughtered, these teachers (the Tannaim) compiled and recorded the totality of Jewish law, ensuring its preservation for millennia to come. Unfortunately while Yehuda Ben Taima's teachings are recorded for eternity, it is not know when exactly he lived. And as it turns out, there are many many burial sites of Tannaim in the Galil, mostly near and around the cities of Tsfat, Meron, Carmiel and Pekiin, as they escaped to this area.
I hope you enjoyed my little tour, feel free to contact me for further directions if you really plan to visit and would like recommendations for visiting other gravesites nearby. My recommendation is to make that the emphasis of a trip to the Galil, as there are so many Tannaim buried in amazing places that will truly instill a love for our holy land and Jewish history!
