When Jewish people throughout the world pray, they face towards Jerusalem. Those in Jerusalem pray towards the site of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple). When the Beit HaMikdash stood, prayer was focused on the place of the ark, the "even shtiya" (foundation stone) in the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies).

Why do we pray towards Jerusalem?

In Parshat Vayetze, Breisheet 28:12, Yaakov has a dream, "He dreamed and behold a ladder was set up on earth and the top of it reached toward heaven, and behold angels were ascending and descending it."

Sforno says that this was the site of the Beit HaMikdash.

In Breisheet 28:17, Yaakov says: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven."

Rashi comments that this is the gate where prayer ascends to heaven. According to the midrash in Breisheet Raba, the Heavenly Beit HaMikdash is situated directly above the earthly Beit HaMikdash.

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan comments: Just as our prayers go through Jerusalem in order to reach God, God's blessings in turn emerge through Jerusalem. As it says in Tehillim (Psalms) 128:5 "God will bless you from Zion". God sends the blessing to Jerusalem and from there it flows to the entire world.

Our prayers are like the angels going up the ladder and God's blessings are like the angels going down the ladder in Yaakov's dream.

As the famous saying goes, you can speak to God from long distances and he will hear you, but in Jerusalem it's a local call.