The Gemora states that in this magnificent Beis hakneses in Alexandria, the bimmah was located in the middle of the Beis Hakneses and the gabbai would stand there and wave a flag when it was time for the congregation to respond with saying amen. (There is a big halachic discussion regarding answering amen when the blessing was not heard and also answering amen some time after the chazan finished reciting the brocha. We might have time to post on these issues. If anyone has any information for us on this topic (or any topic for that matter), we would greatly appreciate it if you sent it to us. Thank you.)
The Rambam in Hilchos Tefillah (11:3)rules that the bimah should be in the center of the shul in order for the congregation to be able to hear the chazan and the Rav (what a concept!).
The Kesef Mishna writes that perhaps we can judge favorably those Shuls that have the bimah in the back by saying that nowadays that the Shuls are small in comparison with those from previous generations, it is not necessary to have the bimah in the center.
The Chasam Sofer proves from our Gemora not like this. In Alexandria, the bimah was in the middle of the Beis Hakneses even though the chazan was not heard anyways.
Perhaps we can answer this question by saying that the bimah should be in the center to give the opportunity for the most possible people to hear. In Alexandria, it was so large that not everyone was able to hear, but that was their intention.
The Chasam Sofer states that the reason for the bimah in the center is because the bimah is regarded as the mizbeach since we read the parshiyos of the korbanos there. This is why we circle the bimah with the lulav and esrog. The inside mizbeach was located between the menorah and the shulchan. Therefore the Chasam Sofer rules that any size Shul must always have the bimah in the center.
The Rambam in Hilchos Tefillah (11:3)rules that the bimah should be in the center of the shul in order for the congregation to be able to hear the chazan and the Rav (what a concept!).
The Kesef Mishna writes that perhaps we can judge favorably those Shuls that have the bimah in the back by saying that nowadays that the Shuls are small in comparison with those from previous generations, it is not necessary to have the bimah in the center.
The Chasam Sofer proves from our Gemora not like this. In Alexandria, the bimah was in the middle of the Beis Hakneses even though the chazan was not heard anyways.
Perhaps we can answer this question by saying that the bimah should be in the center to give the opportunity for the most possible people to hear. In Alexandria, it was so large that not everyone was able to hear, but that was their intention.
The Chasam Sofer states that the reason for the bimah in the center is because the bimah is regarded as the mizbeach since we read the parshiyos of the korbanos there. This is why we circle the bimah with the lulav and esrog. The inside mizbeach was located between the menorah and the shulchan. Therefore the Chasam Sofer rules that any size Shul must always have the bimah in the center.
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