"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
"If a land has a soul, then Jerusalem is the soul of the Land of Israel." ~~ David Ben-Gurion
"Jerusalem was destroyed just because school-children were kept from their classrooms." ~~ Talmud, Shabbat
"Who saw not Jerusalem in its glory has never seen a beautiful city." ~~ Talmud, Sukkah
"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, Ta’anit 30b
"The ransomed of the Lord shall return…with singing to Zion." ~~ Isaiah (Yesha’yahu) 35:10
"Eternity means Jerusalem." ~~ Talmud, Berakhot
"Jerusalem which is bound firmly together (Psalms [Tehillim] 122:3) binds the Jews one to the other. " ~~ Talmud Yerushalmi, Bava Kamma
"Malchi Tzedek king of Shalem, said “this place makes its inhabitants righteous?”, so he called Jerusalem “Tzedek” (righteousness). " ~~ Midrash, Bereshit Rabba 43
"There are three gates to Gehinam (purgatory) – one of them is in Jerusalem. " ~~ Talmud, Eiruvin 19a
"The Land of Israel is the House of God." ~~ H. Ibn Attar
"The punishment of vain hatred is so harsh that it destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. " ~~ Beth Hamidrash