creative jewish mom

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 designate the site and provide shelter for visitors who may choose to stay awhile and pour out their hearts. 

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!

In this cave sometime around 70 CE, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his 9 students studied the Kabbalistic secrets that were incorporated in the Zohar, especially the part called “Idra Rabba” [the Great Idra]. The Ari HaKadosh and his students also gathered in this spot, and it was here that the Ari also revealed to his students deep and hidden secrets. A stone structure was built over the cave to mark its location and to identify the spot as well as make it accessible.

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?

A Visit To The Tomb Of Rabbi Shimon......

Yesterday we took a trip to Haifa to take care of some personal business, and while we did not end up visitng the new IKEA there (which is maybe for the best, it's a dangerous place for me $$$ wise!) my daughter and I checked out the fabric stores on Hertzl street, in preparation for some sewing lessons, possibly for us both, we visited some relatives, caught a glimpse of the Mediterranean sea, and on the way home just as the natural light was getting dim, thus putting an end to my crocheting in the car, we stopped off to "visit Rebbe Shimon" namely to visit the very famous tomb of our great sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, not far from our home.