Does Judaism have an opinion as to which direction is "up"? So do we just follow the general consensus, for example we say north is up and south is down? Or do we have other directions?
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2In the Torah north is left and south is right.– Double AA ♦Commented Sep 1, 2023 at 4:37
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So east is up? Is there a source for that? Or just that we pray that way?– ShababnikCommented Sep 1, 2023 at 5:37
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1ארץ ישראל גבוהה מכל הארצות– shmoselCommented Sep 1, 2023 at 5:41
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Whenever people travel to the capital city of a country they say they are "going up to the city" regardless of the direction in which they travel. It is an expression of respect for the status of the city.– LesleyCommented Sep 1, 2023 at 7:02
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2Not specifically Jewish, but medieval T&O maps were traditionally oriented (note the word) with East at the top, in contrast to Ptolemy's earlier map– HenryCommented Sep 1, 2023 at 8:37
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1 Answer
I don't know, whether up is the right word, but east is considered to be forward. (Up for me is an elevation from the ground.) See for example Bemidbar 34:15, where to denote east of the Jordan the word קדמה (forward) is used. Similarly, the word אחרון (backward) is used to describe the Mediterranean Sea, which is backwards if we face eastwards (Devarim 11:24).
answered Sep 1, 2023 at 15:39
