Which Way Should You Face When You Pray? The Halachic Guide to Facing Jerusalem and the Temple

In Sefer Melachim (Kings I, 8), after Shlomo Hamelech completed the building of the Holy Temple, he stood before God and prayed: “Shlomo stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven and said: ‘O Lord, God of Israel… when they shall pray unto You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name…’”

From this verse, our Sages in the Talmud (Berachot 30a) derived that when a person stands to pray the Amidah, he should direct his prayer toward Jerusalem and the Temple.

Halachic Ruling — The Shulchan Aruch

Maran, the author of the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 94:1), rules: “When one rises to pray:

• If he is outside the Land of Israel, he should direct his face toward the Land of Israel.
• If he is in the Land of Israel, he should face toward Jerusalem.
• If he is in Jerusalem, he should face the Temple.”

Why Ashkenazim Face East (“Mizrach”)

Rabbeinu Asher (the Rosh), who lived in Europe, explained: “We turn our faces toward the east because we dwell to the west of the Land of Israel; when we face east, we are thereby facing Jerusalem.” Since Europe lies to the west of Israel, turning eastward directs one’s prayer toward the Holy Land.

The Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) codifies this as well, writing that in all the lands of Ashkenaz (northern Europe), the custom is to pray toward the east. Similarly, Jews in North and South America, which are west of Israel, also pray facing eastward.

However, one who lives east of Israel — for example, in India, China, or Japan, must pray facing west, since that direction leads toward Israel. In every country, the proper direction is determined by one’s location relative to the Land of Israel.

Within Israel — Facing Jerusalem and the Temple

In the Land of Israel itself, one must always face toward Jerusalem:

• Someone in Shechem (Nablus), which is north of Jerusalem, should pray facing south.

• One in Hebron, which is south of Jerusalem, should face north.

Within Jerusalem, one should always face the site of the Holy Temple — there is no fixed compass direction for everyone, only the general rule to turn toward the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit).

Clarifying a Common Mistake

Some mistakenly think that “east” (mizrach) is always the direction of prayer because of the Ashkenazi expression “facing the mizrach.”
In truth, the direction is not inherently east — it depends solely on the geographical direction of Jerusalem and the Temple from one’s location.

When the Temple Is Rebuilt

When the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt — may it be soon in our days, we will once again ascend and appear before the Lord in His house, and He will hear our prayers and bring everlasting redemption to His people, speedily and in our time. Amen.