Ari Sephardi Synagogue
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== Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, The ARI== | == Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, The ARI== | ||
− | Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as The ARI -- The Lion -- arrived in [[Safed|Tzfat]] in 1570. He was already recognized as a renowned Kabbalistic scholar. His presence in Tzfat, alongside that of his students, elevated the city to become the City of Kabbalah, one of Judaism’s four Holy Cities. | + | [[File:00000138L ari sephardi entrance eliyaho hanavi room.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Candles lit in the room.]] Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as The ARI -- The Lion -- arrived in [[Safed|Tzfat]] in 1570. He was already recognized as a renowned Kabbalistic scholar. His presence in Tzfat, alongside that of his students, elevated the city to become the City of Kabbalah, one of Judaism’s four Holy Cities. |
The ARI prayed in the Eliyahu HaNavi synagogue and he also studied Kabbalah in a sideroom of the synagogue. Legend relates that Eliyahu HaNavi himself would come to sit with the ARI and study with him. The prophet would reveal new insights into Jewish mysticism which allowed the ARI to develop and expand Kabbalistic study. His stream of Kabbalah became the “Luranic Kabbalah,” the focus of most of today’s Kabbalah study. | The ARI prayed in the Eliyahu HaNavi synagogue and he also studied Kabbalah in a sideroom of the synagogue. Legend relates that Eliyahu HaNavi himself would come to sit with the ARI and study with him. The prophet would reveal new insights into Jewish mysticism which allowed the ARI to develop and expand Kabbalistic study. His stream of Kabbalah became the “Luranic Kabbalah,” the focus of most of today’s Kabbalah study. |
Revision as of 11:09, 20 January 2012
(Hebrew: בית כנסת האר״י ספרדי / Spelling: Arei, Hari, Sephardic, Sephardik, Sefardic, Sefardi, Sepharadic, Sepharadi / Other Names: Arizal Shul, / Definition: Old Synagogue in Safed, Israel named after Rabbi Yitzhak Luria.)The ARI Sepharadi synagogue is located on HaARI Street just above the ancient Tzfat cemetery. The HaARI Sepharadi is the oldest synagogue in Tzfat, allowing visitors and locals to visit and pray in a spot that encompasses much of Tzfat’s history of the last eight hundred years.
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History
The ARI Sepharadi was built in the 13th century above the ancient Tzfat cemetery. At that time, the small Jewish community of approximately a dozen families was rebuilding after the defeat of the Crusaders who had ruled the area for much of the previous two centuries. They named the synagogue the “Eliyahu HaNavi” -- Elijah the Prophet -- synagogue and the synagogue served as a center of Jewish life as the community grew.
Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, The ARI
Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as The ARI -- The Lion -- arrived in Tzfat in 1570. He was already recognized as a renowned Kabbalistic scholar. His presence in Tzfat, alongside that of his students, elevated the city to become the City of Kabbalah, one of Judaism’s four Holy Cities.The ARI prayed in the Eliyahu HaNavi synagogue and he also studied Kabbalah in a sideroom of the synagogue. Legend relates that Eliyahu HaNavi himself would come to sit with the ARI and study with him. The prophet would reveal new insights into Jewish mysticism which allowed the ARI to develop and expand Kabbalistic study. His stream of Kabbalah became the “Luranic Kabbalah,” the focus of most of today’s Kabbalah study.
Renamed
After the ARI’s death the Tzfat community renamed the Eliyahu HaNavi synagogue after the ARI. Later, congregants of the Gerigos Tzfat synagogue also wanted to name their synagogue the “ARI” synagogue The two synagogues differentiated by naming the older synagogue the “ARI Sepharadi”, and the second one the 'ARI Ashkanazi'.