Question: Is it Jewish to walk a labyrinth?
Rabbi Milgram writes: "In medieval times, walking a labyrinth in a cathedral, such as the famous one at Chartres, France, was considered the inner equivalent of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and more particularly, to the holy of holies, the central location of God’s indwelling. This is a recognition that Jerusalem is not just a city of stone and mortar, but a state of mind and spirit.
Our father Abraham called the city “Yireh,” seeing beyond what is known to us, moving from wilderness to what is promised. His friend and ally, Malchitzedek, called the city “Shalem,” wholeness. A pilgrimage to Yerushalayim in the labyrinth is to move from wilderness to wholeness, to pure awe and respect for Creator and Creation and one's place within the whole and within the holy."
