When people talk about Tsfat history, usually they are talking about the common era or at least after the invent of civilization... but the history of the city of Tsfat dates back to before the giving of the Torah and even before creation 5770 years ago.
It was then, before G-d created the world, that the Lord, Blessed Be He, decided his intentions and how the world would play out. The internal intentions of the blueprint of creation, A.K.A., The Torah of Moses, is dictated by the mystical or esoteric understanding that is coded between the lines so to speak. Kabbalah explains that in regards to G-d's creation, the end was planted in the begining. This means that before the first day of creation, G-d's plan was complete and the internal aspect of that plan was to have a place where the Almighty Himself could not be seen yet for His creations to strive to understand His greatness and make great His Name. The special place where the gates to this internal secret meaning was to be located was this place, the city of Tsfat. And so it was earmarked as the gate for this deaper meaning of creation and was designated such with a gate keeper and controler of this internal understanding of G-d's knowledge who is none other then the great ARI "CHAI" Rabbi Isaac Luria... a.k.a. the father of Kabbalah in the modern era. His teachings where centered on the esoteric and he based himself in the most elevated town in the land of Israel being Tsfat, which was and is his home town and the main point of his teaching legacy.
It was the great Ari's teachings that established the wellspring for the Ball Shem Tov who would later become the father of Chasidus and the Alter Rebbe author of the Tania and founder of Chabad Chasidus. The story goes that for years Rabbi Isaac Luria, The Ari, would go through the famous cemetary of Tsfat and announce who lied beneath each unmarked grave and where certain Tzadikim (righteous ones) were burried so that the place could be marked accordingly. This was done through ruach ha Kodesh (divine inspiration) as is known by those who know. The Ari ended his leadership as the Nasi HaDor (Leader of the Jewish People) at a very young age in his 38th year which was just over 400 years ago. In the last year of his leadership, the Ari , Rabbi Isaac Luria stopped his rectification of the grave stones and the identifying of the Tzadikim burried there. When asked why by one of his students why he had stopped, his reply was simply that he must spend all of his time now imbuing the city of Tsfat with Holyness. So the Ari spent his last year sanctifying the city with holyness preparing Tsfat for the time that it would require to be the departure point for the Messiah on his direct route to Jerusalem to bring to fruition the Messiah's responsiblity of rebuilding the 3rd and final Holy Temple and gathering the Jews from the four corners of the world for the final redemption.
That Messiah will come to Jerusalem by way of Tsfat was learned out by a teaching of the great Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai of blessed memory. It was just after the destruction of the 2nd Holy Temple about 2000 years ago, here in the area of Tsfat that the mystical teachings of the Torah, the esoteric internal meanings, were taught and mastered. The secrets were released and at that time even 11 and 12 year olds were able to become Kaballah Masters. It was then that the Rashbi, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai taught that the Messiah will come from Tsfat on his way to Jerusalem.
Let's go back and peice it together for we are creatures of intelect and when presented with sound logic can agree in consensus to what is true and right and in fact the will of our Father in Heaven Blessed be He. It was almost 5000 years ago that Noah the father of humanity came off of the ark with his wife, his three sons and their wives, not to mention all the animals. It was his son Shem and his grandson Ever that formed the first Yeshiva known to man and where was it established, in the heart of down town Tsfat, just across the street from where stands today the super shuk supermarket that sells cottage cheese with slices of olives for just under five shekels along with all the other goodies one finds in a quality market.
Today's modern Tsfat simply oozes with history. It is a city that has been occupied over and over again by the multitude of peoples categorized as the enemies of the Jews throughout the centuries. As for the leaders of the Jewish people throughout the ages, Rabbi Akiva's teacher Eesh Gamzoo is burried here along with Noah's son and grandson Shem and Aver as well, the daughters of Jacob the forefather of the Jewish people along with other famous Jewish leaders that include but are not limmited to; Rabbi Karo, Rabbi Cordovero, Rabbi Vital, Rabbi Beirav, The Lubavitcher Rebbe's brother, not to mentioning the ARI, Rabbi Luria. As well the city is overloaded with historical synagogues that these Torah giants left for future generations along with there teachings as a legacy for all times.
Tsfat was always at the forefront of the main Torah ideal of bringing redemption and welcoming Moshiach... as another famous story goes, the Ari was learning with his students in the woods when he asked them all to hold hands in the form of a circle. When the circle became closed and connected all the way around the Ari had a supernal ascent at which time he presented his students with a proposal. He asked them, "If you are ready, we will all instantly transport to Jerusalem where we will welcome Moshiach." At that point the students broke in with the retort that they should ask their wives if it will be ok with them. It was then that their Rebbe, the Ari, Rabbi Isaac Luria let them know that they had missed their chance to usher in the era of Moshiach and that another opportunity to do so would not occur in their generation.
Yes Tsfat has had its fair share of hard times even wars. Tsfat rests on the top of a mountain of which on the peak once stood a mighty fortress known as the Citadel. This was not a Jewish fortress but rather was built by the Crusader who occupied Israel during their conquest of the holy land under Ottoman Rule in the 16th century.
In January 1st in the year 1837, Tsfat was hit by an earthquake that devestated the entire city. It is told that the leading rabbis of the time used Kabbalah to try and bring the Redeemer of the Jewish people before his appropriate time and thereby caused it. Since then Tsfat has grown and continued it's legacy as the capital of North Israel. Despite the Jewish growth over the last few hundred years, Tsfat experienced major set backs like the arab riots of 1929 when the Tsfat massacre took place, eighteen Jews were killed (some sources say twenty) and eighty wounded. The main street which was and still is Jerusalem Road was looted and burned. The township was again attacked at each of the national wars begining with the 1948 War of Independence. Tsfat was the site of battle between it's Jewish residents and the vastly outnumbering Arab's living in the surrounding non Jewish communities many times over the past 60 years.
Most recently in 2006, hundreds of missiles fell on Tsfat as directed by Hizbulla Israel's enemies to the north in Lebanon. Nevertheless with assurances of the Rebbe that Israel is the safest place in the world, the history of Tsfat continues to reveal the essence of life to this very day helping people live there lives with quality and peace of mind in happiness and spiritual fullfillment.