[Avodah] Lecha Dodi

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 08:37:25AM -0700, Simon Montagu wrote:
: Is the `ikar to turn to the entrance to the shul? I understood that it
: was to turn to the west, "haShechina beMa`arav".

In one shul in my neighborhood (YU-Brisker LOR), they all turn 90deg
from the usual southern orientation of the shul to maarav; although the
shul has a side-exist (nearly never used) on that wall.

I wondered about how we knew that haShechinah beMaarav was a compass
point, picturing something more along the lines of a reference to Maaravah
(EY). Then I learned that the quote is from R' Avohu (BB 25a), and that
he is also called R' Avohu miQisrin (Caeseria). The only thing to the
west of him was the Mediterranian, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and the
US. The maqom hamiqdash was to his east.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Despair is the worst of ailments. No worries
micha at aishdas.org        are justified except: "Why am I so worried?"
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