Placement of the Bed in the Bedroom

Dear Sir/Madam,

According to our rabbinical authorities, it is forbidden for a person (when his wife is with him, and even when she is not, it is advisable to be careful) to sleep between east and west; rather, one should sleep between north and south, with the head of the bed facing north and the feet facing south.

Conversely, according to our Kabbalistic sages, it is forbidden for a person to sleep between north and south, but specifically between east and west, with the head of the bed facing east and the feet facing west.

Regarding practice, one who wishes to follow the opinion of our rabbinical authorities and place his bed between north and south is permitted to do so, and one who wishes to follow the opinion of our Kabbalistic sages and position his bed between east and west, with the head facing east and the feet facing west, is also permitted to do so.

Nevertheless, some have written that a person should consistently follow one side, either between east and west or between north and south, as this way he fulfills at least one opinion; but if he alternates, he contradicts himself.

Sources: It is explained in Tractate Berakhot (5b) that one should sleep between north and south, and Rashi explains that the head of the bed should be to the north and the feet to the south. This is also stated in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 3:6) that it is forbidden to sleep between east and west if his wife is with him. It is advisable to be careful even when his wife is not with him. Further on in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 240:17), it clarifies that the intention is for the head of the bed to be to the north and the feet to the south. This is also mentioned in the Mishnah Berurah (Orach Chaim 3:11) in the name of the Lechem Hamudos.

However, according to our Kabbalistic sages, the bed should be positioned with the head to the east and the feet to the west; see the Zohar (Parashat Bamidbar 118b) and the Kaf Hachaim (Orach Chaim 3:16). This was also the custom of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, as testified by those who inquired in the responsa of the Yaavetz (Part 1, Siman 47). This was also concluded in the responsa of the Yishev Hayam (Part 1, Siman 1).

Nevertheless, the Mishnah Berurah (there) maintains that it is better to initially follow the Shulchan Aruch, as in the response of the Binian Shel Simchah he wrote in the name of the Gaon that the intention of the Zohar is similar to that of the Gemara. Likewise, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan zt"l instructed as mentioned in the book Ashrei Ha-Ish (Part Even Ha'ezer 14:38). The opinion of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky shlit"a in the book Daas Notah (Part 1, p. 106, Response 251) is to follow the Mishnah Berurah, with the head to the north, and in the note there it is mentioned that this is also what the Chazon Ish advised, to sleep between north and south. (Although in the book Ma'aseh Ish (Part 5, p. 182) it brought from Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky shlit"a that although the Chazon Ish directed him to place the bed between north and south, others say that he replied that at his parents' home zt"l it was between east and west).

Indeed, many of the great poskim have written that since there are opinions on both sides, one may follow whichever he wishes, as written in the Shiurei Knesset Hagedolah (Orach Chaim 3, in the notes of the Beit Yosef 4) that nowadays no one is careful about this at all. The reason is that if we were to be stringent about this, we are faced with a contradiction: either our Talmud contradicts the Zohar, or the Zohar contradicts our Talmud, and therefore they do not place importance on this. This is also articulated in the book Olim Tamid (Orach Chaim 3:6) regarding this matter, it is handled as ‘one does as one does.’ Additionally, the Aruch Hashulchan (there 13) wrote that the custom is not to be careful about this, as we follow the opinion of the Tur that it is not an obligation but merely a matter of expediency, and there is a dispute among the Gedolim whether sleeping between north and south refers to head and feet or the width of the bed, and based on this the halacha is nullified.

The same is the opinion of several of our contemporary authorities; see the book Or LeTzion (Part 2, Chapter 1, Response 1) that he ruled a person can arrange his bed as he wishes because in any direction he arranges it, he has a basis to rely upon. Nonetheless, where possible, it is better to have the head of the bed to the east and the feet to the west. Also, see the book Halacha Berurah (Orach Chaim 3, in clarification of the law 7) which mentioned in the name of his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l, that he too agrees that if one wishes to place his bed between north and south, he may do so, and if he wishes to place it between east and west, he may do so. Also, see the book V'Alahu Lo Yaboul (Part 2, p. 380) in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l, that the custom of the world is that they are not careful in arranging their bed between north and south, and refer there for more clarification on this.

See also regarding this in the responsa of Yeshuat Moshe (Part 3, Siman 20) and in the responsa of Olot Yitzchak (Part 1, Siman 2, Section 2) and Part 2 (Siman 3).

As to the statement that “Nevertheless, some have written, etc.,” this is as stated in the book Me'am Lo'ez (Genesis, p. 151).

Best regards,

Hillel Meirs