Hiking In And Around Tzfat Is One Of The Nicest Ways To See Northern Israel. If You Love To Hike Don't Miss Out On The Amud Stream Nature Reserve Which Has The Unique Quality Of Connecting Tzfat And Meron And Specifically The Grave Sites Of The Famed Rabbis Isaac Luria Known As the Ari And Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Known As The Rashbi. The Energy That Goes Into That Attachment Can Be Tapped Into By Making This Very Special Hike With Spiritual Intentions In Mind.
Any Hike must be considered as to how it will be navigated by the Hiker. In Tzfat special conditions exist being that the elevation is 3200 feet above sea level and that the city experiences the coldest winter weather in the country. Another consideration is the spiritual nature of the hike itself. Many of the visitors that come to town want to visit the grave sites of the holy Tzadikim that are buried in the local cemetery and the general vicinity. In fact these are the most popular hikes around. Visiting a grave site of a holy Tzadik has several significant details that arise. The visitor is able to connect with the Tzadik and as well receive blessings from that Tzadik at that time. With this in mind the Tzfat to Meron Hike becomes the Ari to Rashbi Hike and the connection between the two should be clear. The Rashbi was the first Tzadik to bring out the inner teachings of the Torah. It is said that there were twelve and thirteen year old Mekubalim meaning masters of Kabbalah in his academy 2000 years ago. And the Ari opened the doors in our modern era becoming what is known as the gate keeper to the inner esoteric Torah also known as the Kabbalah.
With that said we can understand why the Hike should start in Meron and end up in Tzfat. Simply put one must have the key first to be able to unlock the door. It is in Meron at the white domed grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai that the hiker should pray for that key. The key is the Zohar and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is known as the author of the Zohar. It is in the Rashbi's power to give the key to whomever he wants and the suggestion here is to come to the Tzadik's tomb with sincerity and ask for the blessings that one wants with a humble heart. Make sure to put a few coins in the Tzadaka box and recite some psalms. With the key in your hand, the hike can begin and the destination is Tzfat some three hours down over and up to the adjacent mountain.
When exiting Tzfat there is a main road that the hiker needs to walk about half a mile on to get to the path. Take the ride which leads south and after the second bend watch for where the road barriers end just before the third bend and take a left down into the ravine. The path is marked and soon opens up to beautiful fields of wild flowers and free roaming cows pasturing by the stream. The Amud Stream cuts all the way through the nature reserve where hikers enjoy nature’s tranquility and the utter beauty of the Galilee.
The water stream is surrounded by grazing cows and goats and gorgeous orchards that display a variety of fruit trees. The hike along the Amud Stream joins up for much of the way with the The Israel National Trail (Shvil Hotzei Yisrael) which was created to give an opportunity to experience the breadth of Israel's beautiful terrain. The trail is marked by a three-striped trail marker of white, orange and blue, and will be next to the marking for the Meron Tzfat trail which is green and white. On the Israel Trail program, the starting point is the same only the end will vary from the south to north side of Tzfat depending on which trail you follow at the end of the hike.
Along the Amud Stream lies some of Israel’s largest concentrations of fruit trees. The varieties include apples, lemons, plums, olives, dates, pomegranates, figs, and many grapevines. Hikers will notice that the orchards are still irrigated by traditional mountain methods. Along the way are many caves and even homes built into the mountain and abandoned long ago. Other historical sites along the way include an ancient flour mill, a wading pool which many people take a refreshing dip into, and a wool mill that was used generations ago by members of Tzfat's Jewish community.
As the three hours rush by the hiker leaves the Amud Stream on the first paved road that is found and taking a right heads south following the road as it turns under the highway. The hiker is now at the bottom south side of Tzfat and only a few hundred yards climb from the Tzfat cemetery and the Ari’s tomb and mikvah. The custom is to first dip in the mikvah and then visit the tomb of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), pure and with key in hand. Tradition says that while being prepared for his burial, the famed Ari rose miraculously to immerse himself in that very mikvah. Just a few a hundred yards away is the Ari’s tomb, surrounded by the grave stones of his family, students and other Tzadikim. At this tomb, the hiker can write a note requesting the blessings that he desires and needs for himself his family friends community and all Jews. The hiker should leave the note in a plastic bag and hang it from the tree that grows there. The prayer note in plastic bag stays hanging from the tree and the Ari takes the key brought from the Rashbi and unlocks the gate opening the door, a spiritual hike has been completed and the walk from tomb to tomb has brought about a new light and a stronger more revealed connection revealing the world of truth and the hiker's root essence being the G-dly soul.