… Face Yerushalayim When We Daven?
There are many answers to this amazing question! Here are a few: Famously, Yaakov Avinu called Har Hamoriah the Shaar Hashomayim, because all tefillos enter through there. It was also the place where we would bring korbanos. “Korban” comes from “karov,” close. When we face Yerushalayim, (the place of the korbanos!) we connect our tefilla to that power feeling of coming so close (karov) to Hashem, like bringing a korban!
The Gemara says that really, we face the Kodesh HaKodashim (Brochos 30). The Kodesh Hakodashim was a place of the sweetest closeness to Hashem. When we daven, we can imagine we are standing right there! When we face and think about Yerushalayim, we are pointing our hearts toward that feeling of closeness with Hashem!
Reb Nachman of Breslov (L”M 1:1) gives another reason. Yerushalayim was the place where the Sanhedrin sat, and Har HaMoriah (the Har Habayis) is from where Torah flows. When we face Yerushalayim, we attach our tefillos to the power of Torah, which makes both our learning and our davening stronger. Torah is better with tefillah and tefillah is better with Torah!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 21.