330. Where to Build the Shul
Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 11:2
When a shul is built, it should be at the highest point of the city as suggested by Proverbs 1:21, “She cries at the head of public places.” The shul should be built higher than the other buildings in the city as per Ezra 9:9, “to raise up the house of our God.” The entrance to the shul should be on the east, as per Numbers 3:38, “those who camped before the sanctuary on the east.” The shul has an aron (ark)[1] in which the Torah is placed. The aron should be situated in the direction people daven in that city, so that they will face the aron when they daven.
Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 11:3
A platform is placed in the center of the shul for the one who reads the Torah or who delivers a sermon to stand on so that the congregation can hear him. The box[2] containing the Torah should be placed in the center of the shul, in the direction of the aron, facing the congregation.
- Heichal, which appears to refer to what we call an aron.
- Teiva, which seems to refer to a smaller structure.