Praying facing Jerusalem

Praying facing Jerusalem

When Daniel learned that it had been put in writing, he went to his house, in whose upper chamber he had had windows made facing Yerushalayim, and three times a day he knelt down, prayed
Daniel 6:11 (The Israel Bible™)

v’-da-ni-YAYL k’-DEE y’-DA dee r’-SHEEM k’-ta-VA AL l’-vai-TAY v’-kha-VEEN p’-tee-KHAN LAY b’-i-lee-TAY NE-ged y’-ru-sh’-LEM v’-zim-NEEN t’-la-TA v’-yo-MA HU ba-RAYKH al bir-KHO-hee um-tza-LAY u-mo-DAY

Hearts Facing Jerusalem

Even though HaShem’s (God's) Temple had been destroyed for fifty years, Daniel continued to turn in its direction when praying. Indeed, Jews throughout the ages have maintained the tradition of praying facing Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), showing their eternal connection with their holy city. This is a fulfillment of King Shlomo’s (Solomon's) wish when dedicating the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) (I Kings 8:48-49): “They turn back to You with all their heart and soul, in the land of the enemies… and they pray to You in the direction of their land which You gave to their fathers, of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name – oh, give heed in Your heavenly abode to their prayer and supplication…”
The deep bond between the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem can be found throughout the Bible. Very importantly, notice that praying three times a day pre-existed the 2nd Temple period. IT did not start because oof the desturction of the Temple in 70 A.D. This tradition was already in place during the Babylonian exile.