Literally means sunrise or place
of sunrise, namely, east. By extension, Mizrach has come also to
mean a decorated item (a plate, plaque, sign, etc.) hung on the east
wall of the house or synagogue to indicate the direction of
Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) for correct orientation in prayer.
At worship, the congregation faces
east where the ark is located in the synagogue. The custom of
turning toward the east while at prayer, observed by Jews living
west of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel), dates back to great
antiquity. We are told that Dani'el prayed to G-d three times a day
in the direction of Yerushalayim:
When Dani'el learned that the
writing had been inscribed, he went home. He had windows open in
his upper story, facing
Yerushalayim, and three
times a day he fell to his knees and prayed and gave thanks before
his G-d, exactly as he used to do before this. (Dani'el 6:10)
According to the Talmud, Jews in
foreign lands turn in prayer towards the land of Yisrael, those in
the land of Yisrael towards Yerushalayim, those in Yerushalayim
towards the Temple, and those in the Temple towards the Holy of
Holies (Berachot 30a).
