Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 94 - Requirement to Orient Oneself towards Eretz Yisrael; Laws [Pertaining to Praying] while Riding or while Sitting in a Boat

SECTION 94 The Requirement to Orient Oneself towards Eretz Yisrael; the Laws [Pertaining to Praying] while Riding or while Sitting in a Boat. (1-10)

1 [The following laws apply] when one stands up to pray [Shemoneh Esreh].1 If he is in the Diaspora, he should face Eretz Yisrael2 — as it is written,3 “They will pray to You by way of their land” — and he should focus [his thoughts] in the direction of Jerusalem, the Beis HaMikdash, and the Holy of Holies.4

If he is in Eretz Yisrael, he should turn to face Jerusalem — as it is written,5 “They will pray to G‑d via the city which You have chosen” — and he should focus his thoughts on the Beis HaMikdash and the Holy of Holies.

If he is in Jerusalem, he should turn to face the Beis HaMikdash — as it is written,6 “They will pray toward this House” — and he should direct his thoughts toward the Holy of Holies.

If he is standing behind the [Beis Ha]Mikdash, to the west of the location of the Holy of Holies,7 he should turn to face east, toward the Holy of Holies, as it is written,8 “And they shall pray toward this place.” (In the present era it is forbidden to stand in the [site of the] Beis HaMikdash itself, for everyone is impure due to [presumed contact with] a corpse9 and we do not have the ashes of the [Red] Heifer [with which to purify ourselves],10 as will be explained in sec. 561.11)

If one is standing to the north [of the Beis HaMikdash], he should turn south to face it. If one is standing to its south, he should turn north to face it. “The entire Jewish people thus direct their hearts toward one place.”2 In this spirit the Sages saw an allusion [to the Temple Mount] in the verse,12 “Your neck is like the Tower of David, built with lofty turrets (לתלפיות — letalpiyot),” for this word suggests “the mount (תל — tel) to which all mouths (פיות — piyot) are directed.”2

2 In places where it is customary to pray in directions other than [toward Jerusalem],13 one should at least turn his face in the direction of Eretz Yisrael if he is in the Diaspora, toward Jerusalem if he is in Eretz Yisrael, and toward the [Beis Ha]Mikdash if he is in Jerusalem.

We face the east, because we are living to the west of Eretz Yisrael,14 and thus we are facing Eretz Yisrael. This is why the Aron HaKodesh15 is [usually] positioned in the east [of the synagogue]. Even if it was placed on another side, [the congregation] should pray to the east.

Nevertheless, in these countries16 which are located to the far north — even though they are also to the west of Eretz Yisrael — the Aron HaKodesh and the direction for prayer, i.e., the “eastern” wall, should not be positioned due east, but rather southeast, (inclining slightly according to the angle of the direction of Jerusalem from the mean east position.17 [The mean east position] is the place from which the sun rises for a particular city at the times of the actual equinox in the spring and fall.18 This is the [time of year] at which the ecliptic19 intersects the horizon of this city. This is why the days and the nights are equal at the time of the equinox in the spring and the fall.)

This [mean east position] is further [east] in all of these countries20 than the point in the heavens that is directly above Jerusalem.21 It is necessary to calculate the latitude of the point of intersection between the arc that represents the longitude of Jerusalem as it intersects the equator22 and the arc which circumscribes the quarter of a sphere23 from our location to [the mean east position,] i.e., the place where our horizon intersects the ecliptic19 [at sunrise on the day of the equinox]. If the latitude of the point where this arc24 intersects the longitude of Jerusalem is greater than the latitude of Jerusalem,25 one should incline slightly southward according to this increment. If the latitude of this point is less than the latitude of Jerusalem, one should incline slightly to the north.26 This [calculation] depends on [the extent of] the eastward distance of the country from the Atlantic Ocean27 and the extent of its northerly distance from the equator beyond that of Jerusalem.28These calculations are easy for those who are familiar with the calculations of spherical trigonometry.29

3 One who desires to follow our Sages’ teaching30 that “he who desires to gain wisdom should face south31 and he who desires to attain wealth should face north”32 may conduct himself in this manner even when he is part of a congregation, despite the fact that when praying they are facing east. Nevertheless, he must incline his face33 towards the east, i.e., toward Eretz Yisrael, even when he is praying alone. He may also do the opposite, i.e., he may stand facing east, and incline his face to the south or to the north so that he will gain either wisdom or wealth. This latter approach is more appropriate when he is praying with a congregation so that it will not appear that he has separated himself somewhat from them, for they are standing [in prayer] while facing east whereas he is facing the south or the north. If, however, he forgot and stood up to recite Shemoneh Esreh while facing the north or the south and already began to pray, it is sufficient that he incline his face to the east. He should not change the position of his feet to face east.

By contrast, should he have forgotten and stood up [to pray while facing] the west, he should not turn his face at all, for it is impossible for him to turn his face to the east34 and pray. Therefore there is no need for him to turn his head at all, unless he desires to gain either wisdom or wealth. He need not change the position of his feet to face east, for there were Sages who would pray to the west as an initial preference, since “the Divine Presence abides in the west.”35 There was also a Sage who would pray in whichever direction that he happened to face, because he pointed out that the Divine Presence abides everywhere.35 One may rely on these views after the fact, if one has already begun praying while facing a particular direction; one should not interrupt his prayers to change his position and face Eretz Yisrael.

4 A blind person, and likewise one who is unable to determine the directions in order to pray while facing Eretz Yisrael, should direct his heart to his Father in Heaven,2 as it is written, “And they shall pray to G‑d.”5

5 If a person is riding a donkey, he is not required to climb down in order to pray,2 even if he has someone to hold his donkey for him [while he prays]. Instead, he may pray while traveling. If possible, he should turn his face toward Eretz Yisrael.36 Similarly, when [traveling] in a ship or a wagon, if he can stand, he should. If not, he should sit in his place and pray and, if possible, he should turn his face toward Eretz Yisrael.2

If he is traveling by foot, he may pray while he walks, even if he is not facing Jerusalem. Even when he is not in a place of danger, and even when he is traveling for his own mundane affairs,37 the Sages did not require him to interrupt his journey and stand while reciting Shemoneh Esreh. [The rationale is] that the delay will be hard for him to bear; he will be disconcerted and will not be able to concentrate. [However,] everything depends on the journey, the place, the degree of his fear, and his ability to compose himself.

If, however, he has moved ahead of the caravan [with which he is traveling] and has someone to hold his donkey, he should dismount and pray. Certainly, if [in such a situation] he is journeying by foot, he should stand [in one place] and pray. Standing at this point will not make his heart unsettled, since he would have to wait for the caravan regardless.

On the other hand, some authorities maintain that whatever the situation, one should stand still while reciting the first blessing38 [of Shemoneh Esreh], for if one does not concentrate while reciting that blessing, he must repeat his prayer,39 and when one prays while journeying, he is not able to focus his attention to such a degree. Therefore, [if he is riding], he must restrain the animal from proceeding until he completes this first blessing. He is not required, however, to climb down. It is proper to give weight to this view if one is not in a dangerous place.

As an initial preference, from dawn40 onward, one should not set out on a journey until he has recited the entire Shemoneh Esreh at home while standing, as stated in sec. 89[:9]. Nevertheless, if one transgressed and did depart, he may pray while traveling, even if he is traveling nearby, within the city’s [Shabbos] limits.41 Even if he will still have ample time to pray after he reaches his destination, he may pray while traveling as soon as the time for prayer arrives. He is not required to refrain from praying until he reaches his destination in order to pray there while standing. Since he already became obligated to pray while traveling, he can fulfill his halachic obligation in his immediate circumstances. He is not obligated to defer42 the mitzvah so that he can pray while standing, since in his present circumstances he is exempt from standing.

Nevertheless, in order to fulfill the mitzvah in its optimum manner,43 it is proper that he should wait until he arrives at his destination in order to pray while standing, if he knows that there he will have a private place where he will not be disturbed by the members of the household. [Delaying his prayers in this manner] does not [violate the charges] that “mitzvos should not be deferred”44 and “those who are eager perform a mitzvah at the earliest opportunity,”45 since his intent is to fulfill the mitzvah in an optimum manner.

6 If one is sitting in a ship or a wagon and is afraid to stand throughout Shemoneh Esreh and [hence] prays while seated, he should nevertheless stand, if possible, when he must bow, so that he will bow46 while standing. He should also take three steps [backward at the end, as required].47 If he is riding an animal, he should have it take three steps back, and that is considered as if he himself had taken three steps back. Alternatively, while on the animal he should move back, as he would do if he were taking his leave of a king.47

7 An elderly person who cannot stand may sit in his place and pray. Similarly, one who is sick may pray48 even when lying on his side, provided he can concentrate. If one is so weak that he cannot verbalize his prayers, it is desirable that he should at least think about them in his heart, as it is written,49 “Say in your hearts on your beds.” [This he should do] even though one does not fulfill his obligation through thought [alone], as will be explained in sec. 101[:4].

If he cannot concentrate he should recite the Shema alone, if that is possible, since [the obligation to] focus one’s thoughts when reciting the Shema applies only to the first verse, and it is easily possible to focus one’s thoughts [for that].

8 If one [is sitting] with gentiles on either side and he fears that they may interrupt him while he is praying or damage his wares if he stands and prays, he should sit in his place and pray, because his thoughts are not composed. He should sit, pray, and bow, even though he is required to take three steps back at the end of his prayer.47

One should be careful not to lean against a wall, a pillar, or a friend while praying, as will be explained in sec. 141.50

9 If one was forced to recite Shemoneh Esreh while sitting or walking, when he has the opportunity he should preferably pray again while standing, as a freewill offering2 — provided that he is certain that he will be able to concentrate properly while praying, as will be explained in sec. 107[:5].

10 [The following directives apply when] one is traveling and is approaching an inn belonging to gentiles. If he can move off the road in order to recite Shemoneh Esreh while standing, in a place that it is very likely that passersby will not interrupt him, it is preferable to move off the road and pray there than to pray in a non-Jew’s house which will certainly contain idols and abominations.51 One should not bring any holy object into such a place.52 For Moshe our teacher said,53 “When I depart from the city, [I shall spread out my hands to G‑d].” He did not want to pray in the Egyptian city, because it was filled with idols.

If, however, one cannot move off the road to a place in which he will not be interrupted, he should pray in a corner of the inn where he will not be disturbed by the members of the household. He need not be concerned about the presence of idols, for all of our prayers are recited in towns filled with idols.54

If it is impossible to move off the road and one must pray while walking or sitting, and in the inn he will likewise not be able to find a corner in which he will not be disturbed, it is preferable to pray on the road while walking or sitting, for then he will be able to concentrate better. If at the inn he will be able to pray in a field, a courtyard, or a garden, that is preferable, for in that way he can fulfill both [obligations], praying while standing and with concentration.