We all know how central Jerusalem is. Three of the world's major religions consider it a focal point. In fact, each claims to have a patent on Jerusalem. Daily Jewish life centers around it, as one is commanded to pray facing Jerusalem, no matter where in the world the prayer is said. What makes this place, (after all, it is JUST a place on a map), so special?

No matter their personal belief, people who visit Jerusalem have a tendency to call it the most beautiful city in the world or a city which awakened their spirituality; but sometimes, people just call Jerusalem "special" without really being able to put their finger on what makes it so.

Maybe Jerusalem is more than just a place.

Looking at the source of the name of Jerusalem, the Bible, mentions the city in Genesis by a slightly different name. The story there is as follows: Abraham had just gone out to war to rescue his captive nephew, Lot. Without going into too much detail, Lot had been taken captive by a group of four kings which had previously overthrown a group of five other kings. Abraham, with his meager crew went to war against these four kings and won. Flushed with success, he chased them far away enough that Lot and the five other kings didn't have to worry about further harassment from them. On his way back home, Abraham was greeted by the kings that he saved and by another guy: "...And Malki- Tzedek, the king of Shalem, brought out bread and wine, and he was a Priest to the Lord on High" (Genesis 14;19). The Jewish commentators agree that "Shalem" is Jerusalem, and Malki-Tzedek was indeed a priest performing monotheistic religious rites there. (Note: many believe he was actually Shem, the son of Noah.)

Shalem. We can see how the root word is related to "Yerushalayim". Shalem, not coincidentally, is the same root as "Shalom," or peace. But it is also an adjective which means whole, complete, or perfect. This King Malki-Tzedek, whose name is translated as the "King of Justice, was the overseer of the "perfect" city.

Let's go back in time a bit more. According to the story of Creation in the Bible, Man was formed from the dust of the earth. Midrashic literature deals with the question, where was this particular dust taken from? Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) quotes two midrashic sources which answer the question. One suggests that the dust was taken from the four "directions" - meaning from all over the entire earth. The other states that man is made up from dust taken from where the Temple was to stand in the future. Based on that second opinion, it appears that there is a little bit of Jerusalem in every human being.

What could that mean? Well, if we take Jerusalem's first recorded name, Shalem, you can see that all of us have the inner potential for perfection. BUT, in order to achieve this perfection, one has to be a "Malki-Tzedek" - a king of justice - a lover of humanity, devoted to doing good, and effecting the rest of the world toward a positive change.

So on this Yom Yerushalayim, when our 3000 years of linkage is being called into question, remember that Jerusalem is more than just a place on a map. It is a special place - besides being a place to go, it is also a destination we must reach.