The Druze rebelled against the rule of the Egyptian king, Muhamed Ali. As the Druze passed they attacked and looted the city of Tzefas, burning and pillaging. The Avritsher himself was then in grave danger and miraculously his life was saved.
The details of these events were told by Rav Moshe Reisher in his sefer Shaarei Yerushalayim:
In the month of Sivan in the year 5598 there was a rebellion against Ibrahim Pasha, the ruler of Egypt and Syria. The rebels tried to overthrow him and came at us armed with swords to murder all the Jews and loot and pillage our possessions.
The Jews fled their homes and left everything behind. Many fled to Ein Zaytun and hid there among the holy graves and davened, calling out to Hashem to save them.
For three days and three nights the gentiles rampaged through the city and left it empty.
They defiled our holy houses of worship; the synagogues and study halls were desecrated. They cast our seforim on the ground and tore them. They closed off all the roads and prevented anyone from coming or going, cutting off all means of escape and preventing any way of communication to alert the authorities on the coast.
We were left naked and lacking all things, even the most basic necessities, because the enemies chased and stole even the shirts off our backs and beat us mercilessly.
At this time, Rav Avrohom Dov of Avritsh was the elder and leader who had arrived and was appointed as the chief Rav of Tzefas. He had a Bais Medrash that exists until this day named after him, and to that place of shelter we fled, seeking sanctuary. We gathered and hid there, men, women and children, lying on the floor, shivering in terror and fright, crying bitter tears of pain and distress.
My father-in-law, who was from Teverya, and knew how to speak a good, clean Arabic, wished to go and speak with the gentile governor of Tzefas. Perhaps he would listen to reason and be persuaded to lend his protection to the Jews. And so they gathered a bribe, a sum of money and many gifts, and they came to the governor’s home and blessed him in Arabic. He was pleased and received them with honor and accepted their gifts and bribes graciously. He promised to guard the city and protect the Jews. We left him in peace and came before the Rav, the Avritsher Rav, and told him what had transpired. He was glad and very happy, and so were all those hiding there with him.
But our joy was short-lived and our hopes were for naught. They came once again a different time to attack the city and looted whatever they could find and beat whoever they could lay their hands on. The governor himself ran and fled, and so he was unable to keep his word.
The wicked came to the Rav’s home and they captured him, taking him hostage and tying him up, binding his hands behind his back with ropes, and along with him they took other hostages as well. They took them to the stronghold known as the Schloss or castle of Yosef ben Gurion, and they beat him almost to the brink of death. They then placed their swords to his neck and threatened his life if they would not be given a thousand purses of coins, each purse containing some five hundred grush, which equal fifty silver reinisch.
Of course, we did not have nearly such a sum at all. The holy Avritsher Rav asked for water to wash his hands and called out, accepting the Divine decree: “My children, allow me to call upon Hashem and bless Him for His true judgment that He has judged me today!” So saying, he sat to await and accept the Heavenly decree.
In His great mercy Hashem saved His people. At that moment another Arab burst in and yelled, “Why are you all still sitting here? Haven’t you heard the news? Ibrahim Pasha and his soldiers are all on their way and they will not leave any of you alive! There will be no survivors of his wrath!”
As soon as they heard this, they were seized with fear and gripped by sheer terror. They fled for their lives, leaving behind all their loot and booty and hostages.
Later, another group of Jews arrived and released the Rav and all the other hostages, cutting their bonds and setting them free. They returned to find their homes in ruin and disarray. They thanked Hashem for sparing their lives.
