POST #4

Outside the Tomb of Rachel, the wife of Rabbi Akiva. She is the famous wife who sent her husband away for 24 years to learn and he became...Rabbi Akiva. On the side of the Mausoleum(out of the picture) there is an inscription with the words that he said to his students, "Mine and yours (wisdom) are hers.")

Shainy is getting some of those notorious Israeli directions to Rabbi Akiva's tomb.

This is at Rabbi Akiva. The plate reads "The Tanna (Mishnaic Sage) Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef, may his merit protect us, amen." Amazing how after 1900 years, Rabbi Akiva's presence is still so powerful and standing next to this man who was tortured and murdered by the Roman empire for his religious leadership is a major inspiration to be a better Jew.

Rabbi Akiva is buried in an incredible spot on top of Teverya. This is the Nof (view).

At the Tomb of the Rambam, Maimonides. His tomb reads "From Moshe (Moses) until Moshe (Rambam), there was no one like Moshe." (The Rambam's name was Moshe ben Maimon.)

The Rambam's tomb is by far the most impressive, with a great tower built over it and a beautiful landscaping and monuments all around with the names of the holy books he authored.

On the pillars you can see the names of the holy books.

Next to the Rambam, you find the tombs of some other incredible people. We found the Shelah http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112346/jewish/Rabbi-Isaiah-Halevi-Horowitz-The-Sheloh.htm,

we found one of the greatest Talmudic Rabbis, Yochanan ben Zakkai, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yochanan_ben_Zakai,

and the Rabbis Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Yosi Hacohen, Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach.

It is an incredible thing to visit these graves after years of studying the teachings and saying of these Tzadikim and hearing the stories and anecdotes about them which make up our faith! Unbelievable.

This is at the massive tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, in Meron (near Tzfat), the author of the Zohar and the "founder" of Kabbalah as we know it. No elaboration is necessary, except to say that it was sooo hot, that's why I look bedraggled, nothing more than that!