[Avodah] Why is north above?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 11:14:36AM +0100, lreich wrote:
> Rashi on Bamidbar 34:11 and Devarim 3:1 says  that North is upwards.
> Nowadays the prevailing convention is for maps to be printed with north 
> on top.
> In earlier times this was not so; often east was so favored.

In fact, we see this in leshon haqodesh.

While east and west are usually the places where the sun rises (mizarach)
and sets (maarav) respectively, the east is also qadimah, in front of
you in your mental image. And when you face east, teiman is on your yemin.

(It's also true of the English "orientation", where you learn which way
is up, from the Middle English "orient" -- east, which in turn is from
the Latin "oriens", "rising" as in sunrise.)

So, good question.

..
> Is there any connection with the Pole star being nearly overhead?

Polaris's angle above the horizon is equal to your lattitude. So, for
Rashi living in Troyes (and Vermaiza/Worms would be little different),
the north star would be 48.3deg, or a liggle more than half-way up.
More relevent to aggadic thinking, at the Har haBayis it would be just
under 32deg above the horizon -- not much more than a third.

I don't see how that would be thought of as "overhead".

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Zion will be redeemed through justice,
micha at aishdas.org        and her returnees, through righteousness.
http://www.aishdas.org
Fax: (270) 514-1507