This Midrash is formulated in almost exactly the same way as that in Bereishit Rabba, but deals with the Temple rather than the city.
D. Midrash Eikha Rabba (2,198) comments on the verse, “What shall I compare to you, O daughter, Jerusalem?” (Eikha 2:13) as follows:
“O daughter, Jerusalem – daughter who is awe and perfect in My eyes. Rabbi Yitzchak taught: The Holy One said, ‘When you are ‘awe,’ you are perfect in My eyes.'”
The author of the Torah Temima explains:
“O daughter, Jerusalem – who was awe and perfect in My eyes. This may be derived from the Aramaic, meaning ‘giving over,’ in the same way that we translate “God has surrendered them” (Devarim 32:30) – ‘God delivered them.’ And in Chagiga 5a, “mashlim leh la-domeh” – in other words, giving him up. The meaning is that it [the city] feared (was in awe of) Me and was perfect in My eyes, for it was always devoted to Me – “you devoted yourself to Me.””
In this Midrash the name “Jerusalem” is explained differently: “yir’a” (awe) and “shleimut” (perfection) (‘shalem’ from the word “mushlemet” – perfect). When the city has awe and fear of God, it is perfect. In other words, “yir’a” (awe) is the path towards “shleimut” (perfection).
E. The Yalkut Shimoni, on Tehillim 76, offers a similar explanation for the Midrash in Bereishit Rabba, but concludes with the words: “…So I shall call it the same as what both of them called it: yerushalayim – yir’eh SHALOM” (He shall see peace).
In other words, this Midrash derives the suffix “shalem” from the word “shalom” – peace.
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From all of the above versions, it arises that the two aspects of the city combine to create a single wholeness. This also explains the suffix of the name, yerushalAYIM” – a suffix indicating a pair.
Jerusalem is two that are actually one. Rabbeinu Bechaye, commenting on Bamidbar 19:3, explains the verse in Tehillim (122:2), “Jerusalem built up like a city that has been joined together” as follows: “This is the secret of the etymology of the name “yerushalayim,” indicating two – like “einayim” (two eyes), “oznayim” (two ears), and so on.”
2. Written one way, read a different way
Yerushalayim appears 667 times in Tanakh, 641 times in Hebrew and 26 times in Aramaic. Out of the 641 appearances in Hebrew, the name is written only five times in full, with the yud – “yerushalAYim“; everywhere else it appears as “yerushalem” – without the yud.
Ba’alei ha-Tosafot (Ta’anit 15a) comment: “The whole name is ‘Yerushalem,’ named after ‘Shalem.’ Therefore we do not place a yud between the lamed and the mem, in accordance with the name ‘Shalem.’ And the mountain is called ‘moriah,’ named for the ‘Torah.'”
In other words, the omission of the yud is meant to preserve the integrity of the name ‘Shalem‘ [2].
Rabbeinu Behaye, commenting on Bamidbar 19:13, adds the following: “The letter “yud” that is missing represents the Temple on High, which is the final “heh” of God’s Name [the Tetragrammaton]. Therefore the name “Yerushalayim,” written in full [with the “yud“] appears five (“heh) times in Tanakh – hinting that the “heh” is added to it at the time of its completion and perfection.”
Many other sources allude to these two aspects of Yerushalayim – the supernal, heavenly “Jerusalem on High,” and the physical, terrestrial “lower Jerusalem.” Midrash Tanchuma, on Parashat Pekudei, teaches: “We find that [the name] “Jerusalem” refers to the higher [city] just as it does to the terrestrial Jerusalem. Out of God’s great love for Jerusalem on earth, He created another one above, in the heavens… Thus David says, ‘Jerusalem that is built up (ha-benuya) is like a city that has been joined together’: i.e., ‘like a city that is built by God” (ke-ir she-banah kah)…’ [3].
