We're told, in no uncertain terms, that the Land of Israel is the heart of it all. But it doesn't stop there. Jerusalem, we learn, is the heart of the Land of Israel. And within Jerusalem? The Temple. And within the Temple... the Ark.
But wait, there's one more layer. Before the Ark stands the Foundation Stone, and the entire world, according to tradition, was founded upon it.
Think of it like this: a series of concentric circles, each one drawing us closer to the ultimate point of origin. This Foundation Stone, also known as the Even ha-Shetiyah, isn't just some random rock. It's the place where heaven and earth meet. In fact, tradition says the gate to heaven is right there, and it's always open.
Why this particular spot? Well, there's a beautiful and rather intimate analogy found in Midrash Tanhuma and Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer. God, we're told, created the world in the same way a child is formed in the womb. Just as a child begins to grow from its navel, and then develops into its full form, so God began with the "navel" of the world. Jerusalem, therefore, is the navel, with the altar of the Holy Temple – built upon the Foundation Stone – at its core. It's a powerful image, isn't it?
You'll even find this idea reflected in medieval maps, where Jerusalem is often depicted as the very center, the omphalos, the "navel of the world." This belief, supported by Ezekiel 5:5, stems both from Jerusalem's inherent importance and from the deeply rooted tradition surrounding the Foundation Stone.
And where does this "gate to heaven" idea come from? It echoes Jacob's dream, that iconic moment where he proclaims, "This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!" (Genesis 28:17).
Now, there’s another way to understand this. Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael offers a different perspective, suggesting that God didn't necessarily build the world around Israel and Jerusalem. Instead, God chose them. "Before the Land of Israel was chosen," it says, "all lands were suitable for divine revelation; after the Land of Israel was chosen, all other lands were eliminated." The same goes for Jerusalem within Israel, and the Temple within Jerusalem. It’s a process of divine selection, zeroing in on the place most fitting for God's presence, the Shekhinah. As Psalm 132:14 puts it, "This is my resting-place for all time."
So, whether you see Jerusalem as the point from which creation expanded, or as the divinely chosen center, the message is clear. It holds a unique and powerful place in the cosmos. A place where the earthly and the divine are uniquely intertwined.
What does it mean for us today? Perhaps it’s a reminder that even in our vast and complex world, there are places, both physical and metaphorical, that serve as anchors, as points of connection to something greater than ourselves. Places where we can, if we’re open to it, glimpse the open gate to heaven.