Amuka, located on the western edge of the Biriya forest, contains the ancient gravesite of the Talmudic scholar Rabbi Yonatan Ben Uziel. Rabbi Yonatan was the greatest of the 80 students of Hillel Hazaken. He is the author of the Targum Yonatan. Tradition relates that singles who pray at the gravesite of this Tanah will find their “zivug” -- true soulmate. The site attracts many singles, both men and women, of all ages and levels of Jewish practice.
Early diaries reveal people visiting the grave of Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel as early as the 10th century. Located in what was once a Muslim village, the Kever was respected by the local population. Muslims would come to the Kever to light oil and make pledges in honor of Yonatan ben Uziel. They referred to the grave as the tomb of Muhammad Al Jami, literally “Saint not from our nation”. At one time, the road to Amuka was difficult to navigate but the roads are now well paved the rave is easy to reach.
Rabbi Yonatan Ben Uziel was a student of Hillel the Elder and lived in the first century A.D. In the Talmud tractate Sukkah it is written that when birds flew over his head they burned due to the presence of the angels who came to hear Yonatan Ben Uziel study Torah.Yonason Ben Uziel is best known for writing the Targum Yonatan which is a translation of the Prophets into Aramaic, the vernacular of his day. The Talmud tractate Megilla writes that he planned to author a translation and commentary on the Ketuvim as well but the heavens prevented this from happening because they did not want him to reveal the secrets of the final redemption.
Jewish tradition relates that Yonatan Ben Uziel never married because he preferred to dedicate all of his time to his Torah studies. Toward the end of his life he regretted this, so in order to encourage marriages he gave a blessing that all those who are unmarried will find their soulmates within a period of one year if they visit his resting place. His gravesite at Amuka is a compelling pilgrimage site for singles who pray that, through Rabbi Ben Uziel’s intervention in the heavens, they will meet their soulmate. Stories abound regarding individuals who pray at Amuka seeking a match. A number of stories revolve around people who intentionally “forgot” their “siddur” -- prayer book -- with their name and contact details. The siddur was picked up and contact was initiated with a possible match. Other singles who had searched for their match for many years describe miraculously meeting someone very soon after their visit to Amuka and consider Yonason ben Uziel to be their Shadchan.
Within Jewish tradition, it is customary for people who cannot themselves visit a holy site to commission someone to do so in their place. This generally involves paying someone to pray on their behalf. A number of people in Tzfat are prepared to undertake this mission and pray at Yonatan Ben Uziel’s gravesite on behalf of other Many early visitors to Kever Yonatan Ben Uziel describe a large beautiful tree growing right above the Tzion. Eventually this tree was chopped down by the local Arab governor who needed a large beam for the new house he was building. Within eight days after its completion, the house collapsed upon the Governor, killing him and his entire family. Awe stricken, the Arabs of the Amuka collected the remaining scraps of the tree and brought them back, placing them by the Kever.
The Hillulah of Yonason be Uziel falls out on the Chaf Vav Sivan, the 26th of the month. Each year thousands of people visit the Kever throughout this 24 hour period and the surrounding three days. A number of organizations set up stands in the vicinity of the Kever to try to fundraise money. Often there is food given out for free at the Hillulah sponsored by private donors.;
