Jerusalem is the light of the world; as it is said, “And the Gentiles shall come to Thy light” (Isa. lx. 3).  And the light of Jerusalem is the Holy One—­blessed be He!—­as it is written, but “the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light” (Isa.  Ix. 19).

Bereshith Rabbah, chap. 59.

Ten portions of wisdom, ten portions of the law, and ten portions of hypocrisy are in the world; nine portions of each are in the land of Israel and one outside of it.

Midrash Rabbah Esther.

“And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord” (Isa. lxvi. 23).  But how is it possible that all flesh shall come every new moon and Sabbath to Jerusalem?  Rabbi Levi saith, “In the future Jerusalem will be as the land of Israel, and the land of Israel will be as the whole world.”  But how will they come from the end of the world every new moon and Sabbath?  “The clouds will come and carry them and bring them to Jerusalem, where they will perform their morning prayer, and will carry them back to their several homes; and this is the meaning of the prophet’s saying (Isa.  Ix. 8), ’Who are these that fly as a cloud (in the morning), and as the doves to their windows (in the evening)?’”

Pesikta.

“He stood and measured the earth” (Hab. iii. 6).  Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai expounded “He stood and measured” thus:  “The Holy One—­blessed be He!—­measured all the nations, and He found none worthy to receive the law except the generation in the wilderness.  He measured all the mountains, and He found none on which to give the law except Mount Sinai.  He measured all cities, and found none in which to build the Temple except Jerusalem.  He measured all lands, and found none worthy to be given unto Israel except the one now called the land of Israel.  This it is that is written, ‘He stood up and measured the earth.’”

Vayekra Rabbah, chap. 13.

“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains” (Jonah ii. 6).  From this we learn that Jerusalem is situated on seven hills.  The world’s “foundation-stone” sank to “the depths” under the Temple of the Lord, and upon this the sons of Korah stand and pray. (They) pointed this out to Jonah.  The fish said unto him, “Jonah, behold thou art standing under the Temple of the Lord; therefore pray, and thou shalt be answered.”

Pirke d’Rab.  Eliezer, chap. 10.

“And there went out fire from the Lord” (Lev. x. 2).  Abba Yossi saith, “Two threads of fire came out from the Holy of holies, and these were disparted into four:  two entered the nostrils of the one (i.e., Nadab), and two entered the nostrils of the other (i.e., Abihu), and thus consumed them.  Their souls were burned, but not their garments; for it is said, ‘So they went near, and carried them in their coats’” (ver. 5).