Moriah – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why are so many Jewish institutions – schools, synagogues, even hotels – called Moriah?
A. Because Mount Moriah was where Abraham showed his faith with the binding of Isaac.
The sages derive the name from mor, a spice; or from mora, reverence for God; or moreh, a teacher, since Moriah was a place of spiritual beauty, awe and instruction. It is linked with Jerusalem in II Chron. 3:7 and other passages.
The commentator Rashbam recorded a theory that the name was originally “Land of the Amorite”. Another view links it with the verb ra’ah, to see; the Akedah story says, “on the mount of the Lord shall it be seen” (Gen. 22:14).
