Where Does God's Presence Dwell in Our Broken World

[7] A question. Rabbi Lazar ben Azaryah and Rabbi Lazar ha-Moda'i were sitting and occupying themselves with this verse: "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD" (Jeremiah 3:17). Rabbi Lazar ben Azaryah said to Rabbi Elazar ha-Moda'i: And can Jerusalem hold them? He said to him: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to say to her: Lengthen yourself, widen yourself, receive your multitudes -- "Enlarge the place of your tent," etc. (Isaiah 54:2). Rabbi Yochanan said: Jerusalem is destined to reach as far as the gates of Damascus. And what is the reason? "The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting place" (Zechariah 9:1). What is Hadrach? Rabbi Yudah and Rabbi Nehemiah dispute. Rabbi Yudah said: This term Hadrach refers to none other than the King Messiah, who is sharp [had] toward the nations and tender [rakh] toward Israel. And Rabbi Nehemiah said: It is a place that is called Hadrach. Rabbi Yosi ben Dormaskit said: By the Temple service, I am from Damascus, and there is a place there called Hadrach. He said to him: And how do you uphold "and Damascus shall be its resting place" (there)? Rather, just as this fig is narrow below and broad above, so Jerusalem is destined to widen and rise upward, and the exiles come and rest beneath it, to fulfill what is said: "and Damascus shall be its resting place" (there); and "resting place" refers to none other than Jerusalem, as you say: "This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it" (Psalms 132:14). He said to him: And how do you uphold "and the city shall be built upon its own mound" (Jeremiah 30:18)? He said to him: That it is not destined to move from its place, but rather it widens and rises on all its sides, and the exiles come and rest beneath it, to fulfill what is said: "For you shall spread out to the right and to the left" (Isaiah 54:3). That is for the length; from where do we know the width? "From the tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses" (Zechariah 14:10). Rabbi Berekhiah said: As far as the ocean. Rabbi Zakkai the Elder said: As far as the swamp of Jaffa. And they do not disagree: the one who said "as far as the ocean" -- the winepresses that the King of the kings of kings, blessed be He, dug; and the one who said "as far as the swamp of Jaffa" -- the winepresses that King Solomon dug. That is for the length and the width; from where do we know the height? "And it widened and wound upward higher and higher to the side chambers," etc. (Ezekiel 41:7). Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: Jerusalem is destined to be high and to rise until it reaches the throne of glory, and it says to the Holy One: "The place is too narrow for me; make room for me that I may dwell" (Isaiah 49:20). Yosi son of Rabbi Yirmiah Dostai said in the name of Rabbi Levi: And you still do not know what the praise of Jerusalem is; rather, as it is written: "And I will be to her, says the LORD, a wall of fire all around, and I will be for glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:9). From this you know the praise of Jerusalem. Concluded.