Grave
Me'arat Shem VeEver
Me'arat Shem VeEver
Location of the cave - Tzfat - on the slope of Mount Metzuda, above the Artists' Quarter
Me'arat Shem VeEver is a cave in Tzfat that Shem and Ever used for teaching Torah; the resting place of Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas is also located here.
The Cave of Shem and Ever is located in the center of Tzfat, right above the Artists' Quarter on the slope of Mount Metzuda, a few minutes' walk from the Old City.
This large double cave has historically been revered by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike.
Their burial cave in Tzfat is notable because, according to tradition, it was here that the patriarch Yaakov passed on to his son Yosef the secrets of the Torah that he himself had learned from Shem and Ever.
The First Yeshiva in the World
All of our patriarchs - Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov - studied in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever. It was the very first yeshiva in the world.
Shem was one of Noach's three sons. Noach was born in the year 56 of the second millennium,
Shem - his son - was born 502 years later, in the year 1558.
He passed away when Yaakov was 50 years old, in the year 2158.
After the flood, his father gave him a blessing: "May G-d dwell in the tents of (Shem)."
This means that Divine wisdom was meant to be transmitted to people through Shem.
He was specifically chosen to preserve and pass down to future generations the knowledge of the One and Only Creator who made this world, since the nations of the world were gradually turning into pagans who worshipped various objects or natural phenomena, and many different cults were developing.
Ever was Shem's great-grandson. He was born between 1923 and 1837. His father was Shelach.
He passed away in the year 2197, when Yaakov was 79 years old.
The Midrash states: "Then He chose two outstanding individuals who had come forth from their father's house (undoubtedly the Midrash, by choosing this expression, wishes to emphasize that Shem and Ever were direct descendants of Noach, the central figure of history after the flood, the only one capable of transmitting the wisdom that originated from the first man), who ceaselessly warned humanity."
There is a view that Shem and Ever took part in Avraham's burial. Some hold that Yaakov observed a lengthy mourning period after Ever's passing.
The Midrash relates that Yaakov studied in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever for 14 years after leaving his parents' home.
But he was not the first student at this institution. Avraham also studied under Shem and Ever. When the Creator showed Avraham the famous book "Sefer Yetzirah," with which He had created the world, Avraham could not understand anything as he read it. Then a voice from Heaven said to him:
- Do you think your mind is like Mine? You will not be able to understand this on your own - go to Shem and Ever.
The Midrash explains that after spending 3 years in the yeshiva, Avraham grasped the depth of this book.
A Jewish Court
Shem and Ever established a Jewish court. One of the legal rulings it issued is still applied to this day - it was the court of Shem that prohibited extramarital relations.
Enraged as he was, Esav still did not dare to kill his brother Yaakov, fearing that the court of Shem and Ever would hold him accountable for the crime.
And indeed, Esav's fear was not unfounded - he could have been sentenced to death for the murder.
Rivkah Imeinu
It was here, to the court of Shem and Ever, that Rivkah came for counsel, seeking to understand what was happening to her.
After all, her children (the future Esav and Yaakov) had already shown their inclinations while she was still pregnant. One, striving to grasp the wisdom of the Almighty, kicked and tried to come out whenever she passed by the Beit Midrash of Shem and Ever, while the other was drawn toward pagan idols.
The Torah states that Rivkah went "to seek G-d."
Our sages, explaining the meaning of this phrase, say that she went to Shem and Ever, who foretold to her that two completely different nations would descend from her future sons.
The Torah states that Yaakov gave Yosef a "striped" garment, the famous "ketonet passim."
The Midrash explains that this phrase alludes to the fact that Yaakov passed on to his son all the knowledge he had received from Shem and Ever.
The Midrash says that while Shem and Ever remained hidden away in their yeshiva, Avraham went out among people and spread the truth. In the text of the Torah itself, we can read the reason for Avraham's selection: "For I know that he will instill knowledge in his children." This phrase suggests that Shem and Ever did not engage in widespread teaching, raising only their own children.
Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas
Inside the cave there are a number of graves, some of which have historically been attributed to various Tannaim.
According to the testimony of the holy Arizal, the only Tanna buried in this cave is
Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas.
May the merit of these tzadikim protect our people!
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