Love > $

So we're sitting in the forest. Separately. This is our time to meditate. This is our time to reflect and to connect with G-d or ourselves in any way we want. I'm sitting in the darkness, and I'm mouthing the words to Jewish songs. Jewish songs that remind me of happiness. A few tears fall, and then...a cow moos. I snap out of my meditation immediately because at first I thought it was one of my friends screaming. I'm proud of myself though that I was actually able to pause life, and reflect without my thoughts flying back and forth. So besides the cow interrupting my serenity, this was one of the highlights of our trip to Tzfat.


(My friend Elisheva and I on the hike)
It started at 7:30 on Thursday morning where we were first headed to the city of Meron to pray at the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. I didn't really know much about him..so I wasn't completely moved. I know that I need to work on knowing some leaders in Jewish history. Anyways, after that we went to this beautiful hike that highlighted the various scenic pictures of the North. After that, we went to the hotel in Tzfat where we settled in. I was a little disheveled when I got a text message saying that my phone was going to be shut down, because my credit card wasn't working! (it was a mishap in the end, but the added stress was certainly not needed). Consequently, I was upset the rest of the night, and ended up ditching the kabbalistic concert to run into the streets of tzfat and just cry to the mountains. To be honest, it was really comforting.


Friday day we got a tour of Tzfat where we roamed the artistic shops, heard a speech from a mystical genius, challah baked at the hotel, and then had plenty of time to prepare for shabbat.
(My roommate Rachel and I pre-Shabbat)

As shabbat rolled in, we went into the forest and then went to kabbalt shabbat at the famous Carlbach minyan. It really was an experience. Every prayer had it's own song that followed with dancing and singing to the tunes of the songs. During many of the prayers I just closed my eyes and smiled and realized what was going on around me. I am where I want to be.

Shabbat dinner followed with some night activities (including an Oneg at a seminary in Tzfat that FREAKED me out because it truly resembled a sorority. A bunch of girls clapping and singing and then introduction games, and I don't know..brought me down memory lane, so I got out of there as soon as possible!) I fell asleep around 11 and got to sleep in till 10 the next morning.

I woke up to a snack filled kiddush with a Parsha Shiur from one of the rabbis that was in attendance of the shabbaton. I think I was still asleep..so I may have missed the message... Besides that, I prayed on my own since I didn't get up early enough and lunch followed right after. Shabbat afternoon consisted of a nap, a class on knowing your inner self, playing some games, praying again, getting into some deep talks, and just flat out resting.

When havdalah rolled around the energy could not be beaten. At first, we sang songs like Acheynu, and Tov Lehodot and we literally kept the songs going for a good 10 minutes. Literal havdalah followed and then a concert where I danced my heart out with my amazing new friends here in Israel. I was closing my eyes again..in thanks to G-d for giving me this chance I thought would be impossible last year.

Overall, the connections I felt to Hashem through prayer, to my friends with dancing, and to my family with meditation meant more then any dollar sign. I can't be asking for anything more...