Q) We find various occasions in which the custom is to turn ones back to the Aron Hakodesh; at the end of Lecha Dodi, when shaking the lulav, the gabbai when making announcements, the Rabbi when giving a drosha and the chazzan when taking out a Sefer Torah. When must one not turn their back to the Aron Hakodesh?
A) The Rambam (Hilchos Beit Ha’bechira 7:4-5) writes that once the Cohanim have finished their Avodah, they must not exit with their backs to the Heichal, rather they must walk backwards slowly until they exit the courtyard. The Gemara Megilla (29a) compares our shuls to the Beit Hamikdash, and the Magen Avraham (Orach Chayim 132:2) rules accordingly that upon exiting the shul one may not turn his back towards the shul. Similarly, the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 282:1) rules that a person must show respect towards a Sefer Torah and not turns his back to it.
It should be noted that walking sideways is adequate and one does not need not walk backwards in an absolute manner.
With regards to the various circumstances mentioned in the question, the Be’er Heitev (Yoreh Deah 282:1) writes that a Rabbi giving a drasha would not be subject to this prohibition since the Sefer Torah is contained in the Aron Hakodesh which is (generally) ten tefachim above the ground, and thereby considered to be its own separate domain. However, the Pri Megadim stipulates this ruling to brief periods of time and one may not rely on this to permanently sit with his back to the Aron Hakodesh.
The Aruch Hashulchan (Yoreh Deah 282) agrees with the above ruling and adds that the fact that the Rabbi is teaching the words of the Torah and its Mitzvot essentially enhances kavod hatorah thereby permitting him to turn his back to the Aron Hakodesh – just as the Cohanim are commanded to turn their backs towards the Heichal in the Bet Hamikdash during Birkat Cohanim.
In conclusion, the general consensus amongst the Poskim is to permit one to temporarily turn their back towards the Aron Hakodesh in order to enhance kavod hatorah or kavod hatsibur providing that the Sefer Torah is ten tefachim above the ground.
Turing ones back to the Aron Hakodesh
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