Rabbi Wein compares sixteenth century Tsfat to a little pond full of big fish. With the greatest Torah scholars living in one small town, controversy was inevitable. Yet within this intense environment emerged one of the greatest innovations in Jewish thought – the popularization of Kabbalah. Understanding the background and history of the great men of Tsfat, and the momentous issues they debated, broadens our understanding not only of their times but of our current Jewish world.