Right after our oldest son Shalom’s bar mitzvah eight years ago, I had the privilege of accompanying him to Eretz Yisrael for a week. We had the zechus of receiving berachos from many gedolim, we davened at the kevarim of tzaddikim who lived throughout the generations, we visited family who live there, and we saw a sampling of some of the wonders and majestic beauty of the Land.
The day before we returned home, my brother R’ Yaakov’s father-in-law, R’ Moshe Primishleanu, drove us on an incredible one-day tiyul up north. We left from Yerushalayim and headed north via the Jordan Valley to Teveriah (kevarim of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Hanes, Rabbi Akiva, Ramchal, Rambam, and Shelah). We saw the place where the Kineret begins to flow into the Jordan River, and sometime later we saw where the opposite side where the northern section of the Jordan flows into the top of the Kineret.
We headed all the way to the northern border, to the summit of a mountain called BenTal, where there was snow on the ground. From there we saw nearby snow-capped Har Chermon, and had a clear view well into Syria. We then drove back down through the northern city of Kiryat Shemoneh, and down through the Galil, from which the Lebanese border was visible.
We davened in Amuka at the kever of Rabbi Yonasan Ben Uziel, and then headed up towards Tzefas.
That morning I had read that Abayei and Rava were buried in the vicinity of Tzefas, but that it was a bit off the road and somewhat challenging to find.
At the time Shalom was learning the beginning of the fifth perek of Bava Kamma in yeshiva. The Gemara there discusses the halacha in an unusual case where a pregnant cow gored an ox. There is a classic machlokes between Abayei and Rava regarding the details of the scenario which the Mishna discusses and how much compensation must be paid.
As we had just reviewed that Gemara that morning I asked R’ Moshe if we could visit the graves of Abayei and Rava.
Despite not being totally sure where it was, R’ Moshe was more than willing to oblige. As the sun was setting, we drove to the end of the road and onto a bumpy unsettled path heading up a steep hill. Somehow the car made it up. At the end of the path, we had to walk to the top of the mountain, from where there was a breathtaking view of the entire city of Tzefas. At the top was a now dark and chilly cave into which we descended. At the end of the cave were the graves of the two holy Amoraim simply marked with their names.
Shalom and I stood in front of the two timeless Talmudic personalities whose name grace numerous pages of the Talmud, and orally reviewed the Gemara’s discussion, particularly the dispute that we had just learned that morning. We said some Tehillim and left shortly after.
We then continued on to Tzefas and then Meron, before heading back to Yerushalayim via Acco, Chaifa, and Tel Aviv.
When I reflect on that amazing trip, our visit to Abayei and Rava was unquestionably the greatest highlight of all. Although at the time it didn’t seem so significant, when thinking back to it, it was an extremely emotional moment. A Torah dispute between two sages close to two thousand years ago in ancient Babylonia was vividly recounted by a 21st century American father and his son celebrating his bar mitzvah. Could our worlds be any more different? If I had met Abayei and Rava what would I say to them? Would I tell them about Covid, Trump, or the Yankees? Yet, in that moment, I stood with my son and recounted their timeless words about a pregnant cow goring an ox.
The experience of reviewing Torah taught centuries ago in front of the graves of such distinguished personalities, as their lips moved along with us, was humbling and awe-inspiring. The words of the Gemara took on new meaning. At the same time, Abayei and Rava came to life for us at their graves.
It was a timeless experience in a timeless land. It was part of the privilege we have being members of a timeless people! It’s the reason why we are prepared to live and die for our beloved Land.
In the words of Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi from the kinah we recite on Tisha b’Av morning, “Chayei neshamos avir artzech – living souls comprise the air of your land.”
