Jerusalem Quotes 

“Ten measures of beauty descended to the world, nine were taken by
Jerusalem.”
(Talmud: Kiddushin 49b)

“Whoever did not see Jerusalem in its days of glory, never saw a beautiful
city in their life.”
(Talmud: Succah 51b)

“One who stands [in prayer] in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) should
direct his heart towards Jerusalem, if he was standing in Jerusalem, he should
direct his heart towards the holy Temple.”
(Talmud: Berachot 27a) 

“‘Eternity’ – this refers to Jerusalem”
(Talmud: Berachot 58a)

To what does “In the city of Gold” refer? To the Golden Jerusalem (crown) like
that that Rabbi Akiva made for his wife.
(Talmud: Shabbat 59a)

The trees of Jerusalem were of cinnamon, but when it was destroyed, they were
hidden away.
(Talmud: Shabbat 63a) 

Even during the time of Jerusalem’s stumbling, men of faith did not cease from
[living] there.
(Talmud: Shabbat 119b)

Jerusalem will only be redeemed through [the merit of giving] charity.
(Talmud: Shabbat 139a)

There are three gates to
Gehinam (purgatory) – one of them is in Jerusalem.
(Talmud: Eruvin 19a)

Why are there not fruits
[delicious like those] of Ginosaur in Jerusalem? So that those who made pilgrimage there would not say “If we only went up [to Jerusalem] to
eat the fruits of Ginosaur in Jerusalem, it would have been enough.” [as not
to denigrate the real purpose of going up there – to visit the House of Hashem
(G-d)]
(Talmud: Pesachim 8b) 

Why are there not hot springs [like those] of Tiberias in Jerusalem? So that those who made pilgrimage there would not say “If we only went up [to
Jerusalem] to bathe in the hot springs of Tiberias in Jerusalem, it would have
been enough.” [as not to denigrate the real purpose of going up there – to visit the House of Hashem (G-d)]
(Talmud: Pesachim 8b) 

“On that day there will be on the bells [metzilot]
of the horse – Holy to Hashem” (Zechariah 14:20) What does the
“Bells of the Horse” refer to? ” Rav Yehoshua ben Levi said “In the future the Holy One, Blessed be He, will add to [the
borders] of Jerusalem – [as much land as] the horse runs till it is shadowed
[tzel] (by the person riding him – about half the day)”
(Talmud: Pesachim 50a) 

Rabbi Yohanan said three things for the people of Jerusalem :

• “When you go out to war do not go out first – rather go out last so that you
  will [re]-enter first”

• “and make [the expenditures
  for] your Shabbat as those of a weekday, as not to depend on your fellow creatures.”

• “and try to work with one
  upon whom the hour smiles [presently has good
  fortune].”

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said three things for the people of Jerusalem ”
:

• “do not spend too much time in the gardens [oo: on roofs] because of the
  matter that happened [to king David when he tarried on the roof and saw Bat
  Sheva]”

• “when your daughter reaches adulthood, free your [Hebrew] servant and give him
  to her.” 

• “and be careful with your wife from your first son-in-law”

(Talmud:
Pesachim 113a) 

Jerusalem does not become impure through touching; Jerusalem will not be split
by the tribes.
(Talmud: Yoma 12a)

 

Jerusalem was only destroyed because 

• its inhabitants desecrated the Shabbat 

• they refrained from reciting the Morning and Evening Shema

• the children in the Torah day schools wasted their learning
  time

• because they were not shame faced (to sin)

• because they made the minors equal to the adults

• because one did not rebuke another

• because they embarrassed
  Torah Scholars

(Talmud:
Shabbat 119b)

A snake or scorpion never bit anyone in Jerusalem and a person never said to
his fellow there is not enough room for me to sleep in Jerusalem.
(Talmud: Yoma 21a)

From Jerusalem to Jerico – there are 10 parsaot [a unit of measurement];
A betrothed girl in Jerusalem does not need to adorn herself with the scent of
incense
(Talmud: Yoma
39b)

Of the noble people of Jerusalem, they would accompany them till the first
Succah.
(Talmud: Yoma 66b)

“Each and every acacia tree that the non-Jews removed from Jerusalem, will
be restored to it by the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the future.”
(Talmud: Rosh Hashana 23a)

“There were no days as glorious for the people of Israel as the fifteenth of
Av [the Hebrew Month] and as Yom Kippur, when the daughters of Jerusalem
would come outside with borrowed white garments and dance in the vineyards.”
(Talmud: Taanit 26b) 

“Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will be meritorious and will see its rejoicing and all who do not mourn for Jerusalem will not see it’s rejoicing”
(Talmud: Taanit
30b)

“There were 480 places of worship (Synagogues) in Jerusalem, and each one of
them had a school for scriptures (bible) and a learning center for the mishna
(the oral law)”
(Talmud Yerushalmi: Megilah 3) 

Jerusalem is like a city that people are friendly together – A city in which
all [the people of] Israel are friends when the tribes ascend there for the
pilgrimage
(Talmud Yerushalmi: Hagiga 3)

There were 394 courts of Jewish law in Jerusalem and parrallel to them were
the houses of study
(Talmud: Ketubot 105a) 

Rav Hiyah son of Yosef said in the future the righteous will burst out and rise
[from their burial] in Jerusalem as it says “…”
and “City” can only mean Jerusalem
(Talmud : Ketuvot 111 b)

In ne’ilah [the closing prayer] of Yom Kippur, what did he [the cohen]
say? “And Hashem will bless you from Zion and you will see the good of Jerusalem all
of the days of your life”
(Talmud : Sotah 40a)

Rabbi Tzadok sat in fasting for forty years in order that Jerusalem not be
destroyed…
(Talmud : Gittin 56a)

The Jerusalem of this world is not like the Jerusalem in the next world
[in Heaven] – The Jerusalem of this world, anyone who wants to ascend there, may
ascend – but the one of the next world, only those who are prepared for it may
ascend
(Talmud : Baba Batra 75b)

Three were named after the Holy One, Blessed be He – Jerusalem, …
(Talmud : Baba Batra 75b)

Hashem asked to limit Jerusalem to a specified measure, His
ministering angels said to Him, Master of the Universe, you created many towns in your world for
the nations of the world and you did not give them a specified measure in
length or width, Jerusalem, in which Your Name is in, and your Temple resides
and the righteous are within it, will you (also) give a specified measure?
(Talmud : Baba Batra 75b)

Malchi Tzedek king of Shalem, said “this place makes its inhabitants
righteous?”, so he called Jerusalem “Tzedek” (righteousness)
(Midrash: Bereshit Rabba 43)

Avraham called it Yireh (See) as it says [in the scriptures], “And Avraham
called the name of that place Yireh Hashem” (See G-d). Shem called it Shalem
(Complete) as it says “And Malki Tzedek, King of Shalem.” The Holy One, Blessed be He said “I will call it Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) like both of them
called it – Yireh, Shalem – Yerushalayim
(Midrash: Bereshit Raba 56)

These quotes were selected from “Otzar
HaAgaddah”, Mossad Harav Kook, Jerusalem 

Enjoy • Jerusalem Life