Does it Matter Which Direction One’s Bed Faces?

Today’s Halacha:
Does it Matter Which Direction One’s Bed Faces?
LISTEN
For the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE.
The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (5b) teaches that it is praiseworthy to position one’s bed to the north or south, and one who makes a point of doing so is rewarded.  Rashi explains that the Shechina’s presence is to the east and west, and thus it would be disrespectful for a bed, where marital relations take place, to face either of these two directions.

Talmideh Rabbenu Yona (commentary by the disciples of Rabbenu Yona, Spain, 1200-1263) offer a different explanation, noting that inside the Bet Ha’mikdash, the Menorah was situated along the southern wall, whereas the Shulhan (table) was to the north.  The light of the Menorah symbolizes Torah wisdom, whereas the Shulhan, upon which bread was placed, represents Parnasa (material sustenance).  For this reason, the Gemara elsewhere (Baba Batra 25b) teaches that one who seeks Torah wisdom should tilt slightly to the south while praying, whereas one who seeks wealth should tilt to the north.  Similarly, Talmideh Rabbenu Yona write, a bed should be positioned to the south and north to express the prayer that the children produced by the couple should be blessed with both Torah wisdom and wealth.

Interestingly, however, the Zohar teaches that to the contrary, the head of the bed should be positioned to the east, and the end of the bed to the west.  The Vilna Gaon (cited by the Mishna Berura, 3:11) suggested reinterpreting the Zohar’s comments such that it is not in disagreement with the Gemara, but others, including the Arizal, understood that the Zohar indeed disputed the Gemara’s teaching.  The Kaf Ha’haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) writes that one should follow the Zohar’s view – which was accepted also by the Arizal – and position the bed with the head to the east.  Numerous other Poskim, however, ruled that since this issue remains unresolved, one can position the bed in whichever direction he prefers.  Indeed, the Shiyureh Ha’kenesset Ha’gedola (Rav Haim Benvenisti, Turkey, 1603-1673) writes that in his day, the custom was to pay no attention whatsoever to the position of beds.  This is the ruling followed by the Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, 1829-1908) and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Jerusalem, 1910-1995).  Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Jerusalem, 1924-1998) writes that it is preferable to follow the Arizal’s view, but if this would cause any sort of inconvenience, one may position the bed north to south.

On the occasions when I have been asked this question, I responded by noting to the questioner that this issue is many times less consequential than far more critical issues, such as the proper observance of the laws of family purity.  As we saw, most Poskim conclude that the position of the bed does not matter.  One’s priority must be adherence to the more difficult but also far more consequential laws governing the relationship between husband and wife.

All rights reserved. The audio file may be downloaded and shared with others. When sharing the files, we ask to give due credit to the source iTorah.com. The written content above may NOT be shared, nor reproduced in any format without express written consent from iTorah.com.

This email was sent to bdmesq@gmail.com If you no longer wish to receive any email, click to be removed from future emails.
[8/5/2026 11:28 AM] Harold Jitschak Bueno De Mesquita: [ Voice message ]
[8/5/2026 11:31 AM] Harold Jitschak Bueno De Mesquita: I have read many times that when animals grass or eat or whatever, that they, their head is directed to the north or that their, whole body is directed to the north. Is that right and is there a reason for it?
Yes, there is some truth to this, but it is more nuanced than “all animals face north.”
Research has shown that cattle and deer often tend to align their bodies along the Earth’s north–south magnetic field while grazing or resting. They are not necessarily facing north; they may face north or south, so their bodies are aligned with the north–south axis.
Scientists think this is because these animals may have a magnetic sense (called magnetoreception) that allows them to detect the Earth’s magnetic field. This sense is well established in birds, sea turtles, salmon, and some insects, helping them navigate over long distances. There is evidence that some mammals have it too, although it is less well understood.
As for why cattle and deer might align themselves:
No one knows for certain.
Possible explanations include helping with orientation, maintaining awareness of the environment, or improving group coordination.
It does not appear to be because there is anything inherently better about facing north itself.
It is also worth noting that later studies have found that this alignment is not always observed. Factors such as wind, the position of the Sun, terrain, fences, and local conditions can override or obscure the effect. So, while magnetic alignment is a real scientific hypothesis with supporting evidence, it is not a universal rule that all grazing animals always face north or south.
[8/5/2026 11:33 AM] Harold Jitschak Bueno De Mesquita: Has there been examined if human beings, if they sleep with the head to the north or to the south, if they sleep better? And the opposite, if they sleep to the east or west, that they sleep less good? Also concerning dreams or whatever, has anything been examined?
Yes, this question has been studied, but the evidence is limited and not conclusive.
A few small scientific studies have reported that people sleeping with their bodies aligned north–south had slight differences in sleep measurements compared with east–west. One older German study found a difference in REM latency (the time until REM sleep begins), while a small EEG study from Iran reported some changes in brain-wave activity during sleep.
However:
These studies were small.
The findings have not been consistently replicated.
Sleep specialists do not recommend orienting your bed north–south as a proven way to improve sleep.
Regarding dreams, there is even less evidence. A few studies have looked at geomagnetic activity (changes in the Earth’s magnetic field) and dream vividness or sleep paralysis, but these are preliminary and have not established a reliable relationship. There is no convincing evidence that simply sleeping with your head north, south, east, or west changes your dreams.
One interesting point is that researchers are still investigating whether humans possess a weak magnetic sense at all. Some modern experiments suggest that the human brain may respond to changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, but whether this has any practical effect on sleep or behavior remains unknown.
So the current scientific conclusion is:
Possible but unproven: North–south alignment might have a small effect on some sleep measurements.
Not established: It has not been shown to meaningfully improve sleep quality, health, or dreams for most people.
Far more important for good sleep are factors such as a regular sleep schedule, a dark and quiet room, a comfortable mattress, and avoiding caffeine or bright screens before bedtime.