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Halacha of the week (According to Chacham Ben Ish Chai ztl"t)
Facing West for Qabbalath Shabbath
by Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe
According to Rabbenu the Arizal, the entire Qabbalath Shabbath prayer on Friday evening must be
prayed facing west. Incidentally, he also says you should pray in a field, but sometimes in a city
center that is a little bit difficult.
As we know, the Ashkenazi custom is to face the Hekhal throughout, but on the last stanza of
Lekha Dodi to turn around and face the opposite direction, (with everyone's backs to the Hekhal).
Sepharadim who traditionally follow this ruling of the Rabbenu Arizal would face west, therefore,
for the entire Qabballath Shabbath.
We are here, in this beautiful Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Bombay (Mumbai), India (see video).
Being as most of the Sepharadi lands were to the East of Israel, the Hekhal does not face East as it
does in the western countries, but rather, this Hekhal faces West. So, therefore, since the entire
Qabbalath Shabbath is prayed facing West, the congregation faces the Hekhal and does not turn
around.
Now this brings an interesting situation for Sephardim who move to the West. I often have elderly
Sephardim in New York who get upset because we turn away from the Hekhal for the entire
Qabbalath Shabbath. They say "No we remember clearly when we were kids, that we did not turn
away from the Hekhal for the entire Qabbalath Shabbath", not realizing that that is because they
were facing West. But now in America the Hekhal faces East, and, therefore, in order to do
Qabbalath Shabbath in accordance with the ruling of Rabbenu the Arizal, you must face the other
direction, with your back to the Hekhal.
(See Ben Ish Hai, Shana Beh, Parashath Wayera, Oth Beh)
by Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe
According to Rabbenu the Arizal, the entire Qabbalath Shabbath prayer on Friday evening must be
prayed facing west. Incidentally, he also says you should pray in a field, but sometimes in a city
center that is a little bit difficult.
As we know, the Ashkenazi custom is to face the Hekhal throughout, but on the last stanza of
Lekha Dodi to turn around and face the opposite direction, (with everyone's backs to the Hekhal).
Sepharadim who traditionally follow this ruling of the Rabbenu Arizal would face west, therefore,
for the entire Qabballath Shabbath.
We are here, in this beautiful Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Bombay (Mumbai), India (see video).
Being as most of the Sepharadi lands were to the East of Israel, the Hekhal does not face East as it
does in the western countries, but rather, this Hekhal faces West. So, therefore, since the entire
Qabbalath Shabbath is prayed facing West, the congregation faces the Hekhal and does not turn
around.
Now this brings an interesting situation for Sephardim who move to the West. I often have elderly
Sephardim in New York who get upset because we turn away from the Hekhal for the entire
Qabbalath Shabbath. They say "No we remember clearly when we were kids, that we did not turn
away from the Hekhal for the entire Qabbalath Shabbath", not realizing that that is because they
were facing West. But now in America the Hekhal faces East, and, therefore, in order to do
Qabbalath Shabbath in accordance with the ruling of Rabbenu the Arizal, you must face the other
direction, with your back to the Hekhal.
(See Ben Ish Hai, Shana Beh, Parashath Wayera, Oth Beh)
In Memory of those who gave their lives in Bombay
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Please click here, to see a movie clip in remembrance of the Jewish victims of the Bombay Massacre
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