Thousands visit the kever of the Amora Rav Oshiya on Tu B’Av, when many observe the longstanding custom of circling the gravesite as a segulah. Just a five-minute walk downhill lies Ein Tiria, a tranquil spring nestled alongside Nachal Peki’in, offering visitors a peaceful setting with shaded seating, flowing water, and scenic surroundings.

Towering above the gravesite is a centuries-old oak tree that has long been revered by both Jews and local Druze residents. According to local tradition, the Druze never cut its branches for firewood or construction. They collected only the leaves that naturally fell to the ground, burning them as incense around the sick because they believed the sacred tree possessed healing powers.

Another local tradition tells of Ottoman soldiers who ignored the site’s sanctity and cut branches from the tree for firewood. According to the legend, none of them survived, a fate attributed to their desecration of the holy site.

Visitors who come to the kever often recite tefillos and perform the custom of walking in circles around the grave as a segulah. The site was once mistakenly identified as the burial place of Rav Yehoshua ben Chananyah, but that attribution has since been rejected. According to the Arizal, Rav Yehoshua is buried in Tzfas.

Although the exact date of Rav Oshiya’s passing is unknown, the accepted custom is to visit his kever on Tu B’Av.

Rav Oshiya of Tiria was a fourth-generation Amora who earned his livelihood as a launderer. Chazal relate that while washing clothes in a river, he found jewelry that had been lost by a Roman noblewoman while bathing. Even after she told him he could keep it, he insisted on returning the valuables, explaining that the Torah commands honesty and that its teachings must be upheld. Upon his passing, tradition relates that his bier was seen floating through the air, prompting his contemporaries to apply to him the verse, “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, it would utterly be despised.”

A short five-minute descent from the kever brings visitors to Ein Tiria. Fed by natural springs and situated beside Nachal Peki’in, the area includes shaded picnic tables, small water channels, and a sealed well. A local Chassidic yeshiva has expressed interest in renovating the spring so it can be used as a mikvah, though local Druze residents have reportedly opposed the plan.

The site is easily accessible by entering “Kever Rabi Oshiya Ish Tiria” into Waze. Visitors will also find a small hospitality beis medrash near the entrance offering hot and cold drinks as well as restroom facilities, making it a convenient destination for those traveling during bein hazemanim.

{Matzav.com}