עברית
Prayer and Blessings
Prayer Direction: East or Towards Jerusalem?
Question
Hello, I was always told to pray facing east. I live in central Israel, and Jerusalem is southeast from here. Should I pray towards Jerusalem or is there a general direction established for all praying in the country? Secondly, should one recite two separate blessings on water and chocolate, as both are "Shehakol"? Thank you very much.
Answer
Greetings and blessings. Throughout the world, one should direct the Amidah prayer towards Jerusalem, as it is written, "And they pray to You toward their land." In central Israel—the Gush Dan area and surroundings—one prays facing east, the direction from which the sun rises [in northern Gush Dan one faces east, slightly towards the south]. In areas east of Jerusalem, such as Jericho and similar places, one prays facing west, where the sun sets. In the north of the country, one prays towards the south; in the south of the country, one prays towards the north. I once heard a wonderful method to determine south and east by observing rooftops with solar water heaters, which are always installed facing south to maximize sunlight. Knowing the south direction allows one to orient the other directions accordingly. There are also special prayer guides [Beit Tefillah publication – Miller] included with the binding that act like a compass to show the correct orientation worldwide to pray towards Jerusalem. Wishing you success, Menashe Israel.
