self guided tour Abuhav synagogue of Safed
Abuhav Synagogue
The Abuhav Synagogue, sometimes called The “Blue Synagogue” is one of the best known synagogues in Tzfat.
Abuhav synagogue is named after one of the great Jewish sages of Toledo, Spain. Rabbi Abuhav lived in the 1300s and built his synagogue in that city.
Tradition says that after Rabbi Abuhav’s death he spoke to Rabbi Ohana, a Tzfat mystic, in a dream. He wanted to transport his synagogue to the Land of Israel so that it would escape the ravages of the Spanish Inquisition.
Tradition states that Rabbi Ohana and his students employed mystical incantations and prayer to accomplish this feat.
Another variation of the legend is that Rabbi Abuhav's students built the synagogue according to his specifications in Tzfat
A Torah Scroll, written by Rabbi Abuhav, is present in the synagogue. It's believed to have been brought to Tzfat by R’ Abuhav’s students and be the oldest known Torah scroll still in use
The original Abuhav synagogue was built near the cemetery, where the Jewish community of the medieval era and middle ages lived. As more Jews came to Tzfat the community expanded up the hill.
The 1759 earthquake destroyed the synagogue. Only the wall where the Torah Scrolls were located was left standing. The synagogue was rebuilt further up the hill and the Torah scrolls were moved there.
Visitors enter the Abuhav synagogue through a courtyard in the tradition of the courtyard of the Temple in Jerusalem. The worshipper can thus compose himself before he enters the synagogue for prayer
Kabbalists who entered the Abuhav synagogue had a tradition of reciting: “I take upon myself the positive commandment to love my neighbor as myself." They would then give charity.
In 1837 another earthquake devastated Tzfat. The southern wall of the Abuhav synagogue, where the Arks of the Torah are located, withstood the earthquake though the rest of the synagogue fell.
The synagogue was rebuilt in the 1850s. The layout follows Sephardic tradition, with the bima located in the center and the congregants seated around the Bima. The women's galley is above.
One ark holds the Torah scroll that was written by R’ Abuhav along with 2 other ancient scrolls. The second ark holds the Torah scrolls that are used in the synagogue during the rest of the year.
The 3rd ark was built to hold the Koran which the Ottoman rulers mandated. After the Ottomans left the Koran was removed. Today it is used as a genizah, a storage place for worn-out holy books
The three ancient Torah scrollsare taken out to be read on the holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Shavouth.
The center dome is decorated with images of birds and animals and musical instruments that were used by the Levite choir in the Temple. There are also pictures that represent the Twelve Tribes.
The 4 crowns illustrate a teaching from the Mishna (Talmud) "There are three crowns: the crown of kingship, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of Torah. The crown of a good name surpasses all three.”
An intricately-carved Elijah's chair, where the sandak sits during a circumcision ceremony, is located near the bima. Above the chair is a silver memorial plaque that commemorates the Jews killed in the Holocaust.
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