Misrach

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Misrach wall and Misrach window at the synagogue in Hainsfarth

Misrach ( Hebrew מזרח) is the Hebrew name for east , derived from the stemזרח(Eng .: rise, train ). It denotes, probably coming from Sephardic tradition, the direction in which the pious Jew bows to pray, similar to the Qibla قبلة of the Muslims. To avoid the glow of sun worship, it is recommended to deviate a few degrees from the east direction. What is meant is not the east as the rising of light, as it is understood in Western Christianity - ex oriente lux  - but the Jerusalem temple as a place of sacrifice. The biblical background in the rabbinical tradition is Daniel 6:11, in which Daniel prays in front of the open window three times a day in the direction of Jerusalem. In today's Judaism, many houses have a small carpet, a drawing, an etching or the like with the inscription מזרח on them, with which one can orient oneself in one's prayers. This contains the name of God, images of the temple in Jerusalem or the Temple Mount or a menorah .

Misrach in the synagogue building

In European synagogues, the Misrach wall is the name given to the east-facing building wall . The Torah shrine (Aron ha-Kodesch) was embedded in the Misrach wall . Above this, if the architecture allows, there was often a round window called the Misrach window .

Misrach in contemporary art

The medieval synagogue was located on Neupfarrplatz in Regensburg until it was destroyed in 1519 . The Israeli artist Dani Karavan traced the floor plan with a walk-in floor relief made of white concrete , which he called Misrach and which was inaugurated on July 13, 2005. The inscription מזרח can also be seen on the eastern edge.

Floor plan of the former synagogue on Regensburg Neupfarrplatz with the inscription מזרח
Misrachstein in front of the Duisburg synagogue

In the garden in front of the synagogue Duisburg in Duisburg Inner Harbor is a so-called Misrachstein .

See also

  • Mizrachim , "oriental Jews"
  • Misrachi , acrostic poem for מ רכ ז ר ו ח נ י , (Merkas ruchani) Association of Torah Faithful Zionists , founded in 1902

Web links

Commons : Misrach  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wolfgang Kraus, Hans-Christoph Dittscheid, Gury Schneider-Ludorff (editor): More than stones ... Synagogue Memorial Volume Bavaria - Part III / 1 (Lower Franconia). Lindenberg 2015. p. 854 (glossary).
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Kraus, Hans-Christoph Dittscheid, Gury Schneider-Ludorff (editor): More than stones ... Synagogue Memorial Volume Bavaria - Part III / 1 (Lower Franconia). Lindenberg 2015. p. 854 (glossary).