The Siege and Double Salvation of 18th-Century Tiberias
While the Jewish people all over the world are about to celebrate Purim on Friday (or Shabbat in some cities in Israel), many communities or even families have mini “Purims” of their own. The historic Jewish community of Tiberias, located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, actually has several such days, each one tracing back to another miracle in their tumultuous history. Two of these days—4 Kislev and 7 Elul—trace back to the following story:
The northern Israeli city of Tiberias is considered one of the four holy Jewish cities. Throughout history, Jews have strived to maintain a Jewish community there. Occasionally, a disaster would put a temporary end to Tiberias’s Jewish community, until the next generation of Jews would return and make another attempt to rebuild it.
In the mid-18th century, Jews were once again rebuilding Tiberias 80 years after it was destroyed in a Druze rebellion. The returning Jews found themselves under siege, caught in a military conflict. Their leader, Rabbi Chaim Abulafia, encouraged the Jews to remain in Tiberias despite the danger. Thanks to his courageous leadership, the Jewish community survived, experiencing miracles on two separate occasions.
Who was Rabbi Chaim Abulafia? Born in Hebron and raised in Jerusalem, he spent most of his adult life serving as the rabbi of Izmir, Turkey, where, at the age of 80, he was contacted by Sheikh Dhaher al-Umar, the self-appointed ruler of Tiberias, and invited to return and rebuild its Jewish community.
Despite his advanced age, Rabbi Abulafia was excited by the opportunity. He accepted the invitation and moved to Tiberias in 1740, together with some of his followers from Izmir and his son-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Beirav, who later recorded the experience for posterity.
The newly arrived Jews found Sheikh Dhaher to be a benevolent ruler intent on improving the quality of life in the historic city. He fought against highway robbery and secured the roads around Tiberias.
When the Jews arrived, the sheikh welcomed them warmly. He encouraged Rabbi Abulafia to plant fields and vineyards and build private homes, a bathhouse, shops, and a sesame oil press. The Jews also built a beautiful synagogue, called Etz Chaim, which still exists.
Soon, Jews felt at home. “All inhabitants of Tiberias were happy and content, for the land was quiet and there was no cause for fear,” Rabbi Beirav wrote.
Trouble From Damascus
Tiberias was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, and Sheikh Dhaher’s legal authority there was questionable. When the governor of Damascus, Suleiman Pasha, heard about Sheikh Dhaher’s accomplishments, he decided to march to Tiberias, assassinate the sheikh, and destroy the city.
Rabbi Abulafia found out about Suleiman Pasha’s plan in a letter from two Jews employed in the governor’s counting house. The letter described the heavy artillery being prepared and recommended that all Jews leave Tiberias.
Immediately, Rabbi Abulafia went to warn Sheikh Dhaher, but the sheikh dismissed his warning. He pointed out that Tiberias belonged to the province of Sidon rather than Damascus, and that he was paying taxes regularly.
Another concerned letter arrived from the Jews in Damascus, but the sheikh reassured the Jews that they could remain in Tiberias safely.
Soon, however, Sheikh Dhaher received a report that Suleiman Pasha had set out toward him, and he began preparing the city for defense.
Observing the preparations, the Jews of Tiberias got nervous. They suggested to Rabbi Abulafia that they leave Tiberias and flee to Safed or Acre, but the rabbi refused. He understood that leaving the city would be perceived as a great offense by the sheikh and would weaken the spirit of the defenders. In addition, the homes and synagogue they had built would certainly be plundered. And besides, Rabbi Abulafia himself felt too old to travel.
Instead, he urged his community to pray for safety and salvation. He gathered the local Jews at the burial site of Rabbi Chiya and his sons, and they blew the shofar, prayed, and begged G‑d for mercy.
Under Siege
Suleiman Pasha’s troops surrounded Tiberias in September 1742. Sheikh Dhaher stationed defenders on the city walls, in the defensive tower, and on the waterfront of the Sea of Galilee.
On Shabbat, Suleiman Pasha attacked the tower, but his cannonball killed 14 of his own men. He withdrew, and the residents of Tiberias were encouraged.
That evening, he began heavily bombarding the city. He fired about 200 cannonballs but most of them fell into the Sea of Galilee or into the dirt. There were no casualties or damage to the city. Some cannonballs fell into Rabbi Abulafia’s yard and were later displayed in his home as evidence of the miraculous salvation the Jews had experienced.
After two weeks of bombardment, Sheikh Dhaher attempted to make peace. He sent one of his father’s wives to Suleiman Pasha with a valuable horse.
Suleiman Pasha accepted the gift but continued bombarding the city even before the woman had managed to return. Her report was discouraging—Suleiman Pasha was not ready to settle for anything less than Sheikh Dhaher’s head.
Hearing that Suleiman Pasha was bringing even more artillery to the besieged city left the Jews distraught, but Rabbi Abulafia encouraged them to continue praying and to go on with their lives as if nothing unusual was happening. They followed his advice, and despite the city being sealed off with no way of obtaining more supplies, they didn’t even ration their food.
After 1,500 cannonballs were fired at Tiberias, still without causing any significant damage, Sheikh Dhaher made another attempt at negotiations. He sent his father’s wife out again, with another gift horse.
While the negotiations were going on, Rabbi Abulafia received an offer to smuggle his sons out of the city. He proudly refused. He and his family would not abandon their community.
The negotiations failed again, and the bombardment continued. Suleiman Pasha attempted to tighten the siege around Tiberias, but people friendly to the sheikh managed to send provisions through secret passageways.
Meanwhile, the Jews of Tiberias celebrated the High Holidays, but now, due to the siege, they were unable to obtain the Four Kinds for the holiday of Sukkot.
On the last day of the holiday, Sheikh Dhaher sent another gift horse to Suleiman Pasha as a reconciliation attempt. Using the pause in bombardment, a Jew from outside of Tiberias managed to bring the Four Kinds into the city, to the great joy of the local Jews. As they took turns with the lulav and etrog, writes Rabbi Beirav, “So great was their joy that the people wept in ecstasy … ”
Predictably, the negotiations failed again. Suleiman Pasha attempted to scale the walls with ladders, but the attack was repulsed. Suleiman brought an even bigger cannon, but Sheikh Dhaher reinforced the city wall, minimizing its impact. Suleiman attempted to dig a tunnel under the wall, but Sheikh Dhaher sent his own people to dig a tunnel from the inside and harass the diggers.
The onset of winter brought cold and rain, and some of Suleiman’s soldiers deserted, but he refused to lift the siege. Instead, he doubled his efforts to dig a tunnel. However, when the overseer checked the progress on the tunnel, he found that the tunnel was not coming out straight and not much progress had been made at all.
Furious, Suleiman blamed the Jews of Tiberias for “casting a spell” on the tunnel. He seized ten Jews from nearby Safed and forced them to work on the tunnel, believing that a Jewish spell wouldn’t work against other Jews.
Despite this trick, the tunnel still wasn’t coming out straight. Out of desperation, Suleiman agreed to resume negotiations. Meanwhile, the Jews who had been forced to dig the tunnel were allowed to enter Tiberias. They brought the Jews of Tiberias terrible news. It turned out that while the siege was going on, Safed had been devastated by a plague that killed many of its Jews.
The Jews of Tiberias realized that it was only the siege that saved them from the plague by preventing contact with Safed. They gave thanks to G‑d for the providential salvation.
Finally, on a Shabbat in December 1742, Suleiman Pasha lifted the siege. Rabbi Abulafia expressed thanks for the miracle and led a festive thanksgiving service in the synagogue. The anniversary of that day, the 4th of Kislev, was established as a holiday in Tiberias.
The Second Siege
This, however, wasn’t the end of the story. Humiliated by his failure, Suleiman Pasha returned in July 1743. Hearing of his approach, many residents of Tiberias fled the city. Rabbi Abulafia, however, was determined to stay with his community. They were not afraid, and they even refused to stock up on extra food.
This time, Suleiman brought a larger army and laid a tighter siege. On Shabbat, Rabbi Abulafia encouraged his community in the synagogue, emphasizing that mortal men were not to be feared.
On Sunday, the Jews of Tiberias heard that Suleiman Pasha had taken ill. Two days later, the joyous news spread that Suleiman was dead.
Without their leader, the besieging army went back to Damascus. Tiberias was free at last.
The Jews of Tiberias celebrated, calling the occasion an even greater miracle than the first. The day of Suleiman’s death, the 7th of Elul, was also designated as a festival in Tiberias.
Rabbi Abulafia served as Tiberias’s rabbi till his death in the spring of 1744, at the age of 84.
He is buried in Tiberias.
Sources:
Avraham Yaari. The Goodly Heritage: Memoirs Describing the Life of the Jewish Community of Eretz Yisrael from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Centuries. Youth and Hechalutz Department of the Zionist Organization, Jerusalem, 1958.
Me'am Loez on Megillat Esther, pg. 281, quoting Zimras Haaretz.
FROM: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6813242/jewish/The-Siege-and-Double-Salvation-of-18th-Century-Tiberias.htm
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