“Ten measures of beauty descended to the world; nine were taken by Jerusalem” (Talmud, Kiddushin 49b).

If you’ve ever been to Israel, you’ve surely been to Jerusalem. And if you’ve been to Jerusalem, you know it’s unlike any other city in the world. With 3,000 years of history, its streets are imbued with a special beauty and spirituality.

The Old City of Jerusalem is less than a half square mile, but it’s the religious center of the world, where the three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — all have holy sites.

For me, a Shabbat spent in Jerusalem feels tangibly different than anywhere else. I think it’s because so much of our identity as Jews is wrapped up in Jerusalem. We pray facing Jerusalem. We end our Passover seders saying, “Next year in Jerusalem.” Under the chuppah, many couples recite the psalm, “If I forget thee, Jerusalem.” There are more than 650 references in the Hebrew Bible to Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem is the capital of the modern State of Israel.

This week, that fact was formally recognized by the United States, with the president announcing plans to move the U.S. Embassy — honoring a strong bipartisan commitment made over 20 years ago in the Jerusalem Embassy Act.

There are obviously significant layers of complexity to this moment — many in the community elated by the announcement, many concerned about the timing or the decision to make it. All concerned with what comes next.

Whatever one’s view, we must focus together on the future.

In that regard, the following psalm, authored by King David, who made Jerusalem his capital, seems particularly appropriate:

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say: ‘Peace be within thee’” (Psalm 122).

Shabbat shalom — and may we all be blessed to see peace in Jerusalem.