Ottoman Rule of Safed 1517 to 1759

|header1 = Hebrew:

|data2  = צפת בתקופה האוטומני

|header5 = Other Names:

|data6  = Turkish Era, Golden Age of Tzfat, Kabbalist Era

|header7 = Description:

|data8  = Development and history of Safed during the first part of the Turkish-Ottoman rule, years 1517 -  1759.}}

In 1517 the Turks defeated the [[Mamluke-Era-of-Safed-1266-to-1517|Mamlukes]], starting almost 400 years of '''Ottoman rule in [[Safed]]'''. After the Spanish Expulsion many of the fleeing Jews immigrated to this city bringing with them many kabbalists and sages including the [[Rabbi Yitzchak Luria|Arizal]] and the [[Rabbi Yosef Karo|Beit Yosef]] who came to live, study and teach in Tzfat, earning it the everlasting title of the “City of Kabbalah”. Throughout the years of Ottoman rule, Tzfat’s fortunes varied widely. A thriving textile industry and location along an important trade route contributed to its success. The scholarship, innovations, laws and customs that emanated from Tzfat during this period continue to reverberate in today’s Jewish world. The first part of the Ottoman Rule were known as '''Tzfat’s Golden Age'''. Following the [[1660 Destruction of Safed|Druze attack in 1660]] and the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759 earthquake]] most Jews left Tzfat, once again making Jerusalem the capital of Jewish life in Israel.

Although Safed was a small and insignificant town, by the late 15th century, some of the most revered and well-known sages and scholars were settling in the town, together with their families and students. This, in turn, influenced others to come. Historians estimate that by the early 17th century there were 20,000 Jews living in and around Tzfat. Visitors wrote that the city had 17 active [[Tzfat-Synagogues|synagogues]] as well as “yeshivas” -- rabbinical seminaries and other study options. There were three main reasons that new settlers chose to settle in Tzfat.

Many [[Kabbalah|kabbalah]] scholars were drawn to the city because of it’s proximity to the area where kabbalah flurished during the era of the Mishna and Talmud. During the Roman era, [[Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai|Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai]] was forced to go into hiding from the government. He hid in a cave near Peki’in with  his son and there, through Divine visits, he learned the secrets of the Torah. When he was able to leave the cave he traveled in the area, teaching kabbalah. He also wrote the “Zohar” -- foundation of kabbalah -- at this time. Kabbalah scholars of the Middle Ages wanted to learn and study in the same atmosphere as Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

There were few other options for settlers who came to Israel in the 1500's and 1600's. The Jews of Hebron had difficult relations with their Arab neighbors and the economy of the town was severely depressed. The population of Jerusalem was smaller than that of Safed in the 16th century. In addition, the Jerusalem Jewish community had communal tax problems with the Turks and struggled with social issues among the various groups. For many immigrants Tzfat offered the best living conditions coupled with the Torah atmosphere that they sought.   

[[Rabbi Yosef Karo]] was already a recognized sage when he came to Tzfat in approximately 1538. He wrote the “[[Shulchan Aruch|Shulhan Aruch]]” as a commentary on the “Tur”, a organized and summarized text of halachic rulings written in the 14th century. Rabbi Caro gathered the decisions and opinions on every halachic issue, cross-referenced them and then ruled on the correct halacha for each situation. This work continues to serve as normative Judaism’s halachic reference on all isues.

[[Rabbi Yitzchak Luria|Rabbi Isaac Luria]] -- the ARI -- studied, taught, brought new insights and redirected kabbalah study in Tzfat. He arrived in Safed in 1569 and initially studied with the great kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Cordevero. The ARI only lived in Tzfat for under three years but during this period he taught and refined the study of Jewish mysticism. His synthesis of kabbalah, the Luranic system, influenced the Hassidic movement. Kabbalah scholars study mainly Luranic kabbalah today.

Other great rabbis and scholars who came to Tzfat during this time include the Ridbaz, [[Rabbi Moshe Alshich|Rabbi  Moshe Alsheich]], Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, [[Rabbi Moshe ben Yosef di Trani|Rabbi Moshe di Trani]], Rabbi Moshe Galante, Rabbi Elazar Azkari and Rabbi Chaim Vital.   

The population of Safed engaged in active competition with Jerusalem to attract the new scholars, a fact that disturbed rabbis throughout the world. They felt that Safed was upsurping the rightful place of Jerusalem as the center of the Jewish world. This changed in the early 1600's and the majority of scholars who came to Israel were again choosing to move to Jerusalem.

By the 1600's the Golden Age of Safed had effectively ended. The most important scholars were again settling in Jerusalem and the Jews of Safed were at the mercy of raids by local Bedouins and Druze who were fighting with the Ottomans for control over the region. The textile industry had fallen into decline when Sultan Selim II deported 1,500 Jewish families, individuals who had been the mainstay of the textile trade, from Safed to Cyprus in 1576. Even after he recalled the families, uncontrolled banditry in the area resulted in the trade’s permanent move to Thessaloniki. A small wool textile trade did resume in Tzfat.

The rabbis of Jerusalem scolded the rabbis of Tzfat for trying to compete with Jerusalem for the “crown” of the Jewish world. They suggested that this behavior was to blame for the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759 earthquake]] which leveled Tzfat. The earthquake destroyed 200 homes and killed 140 Jews. Almost the entire surviving population left Tzfat after the earthquake, leaving only 50 Jewish families in the city. All  the [[Tzfat-Synagogues|great synagogues of Safed]] collapsed during the earthquake. Only the [[Alsheich Synagogue Safed|Alsheich synagogue]] remained standing and the Torah scrolls from the [[Abuhav Synagogue]] emerged unscathed.

[[File:more.jpg|link=]] '''Read full Zissil article on the [[Safed 1759 Earthquake|1759 earthquake in Tzfat]]