Tosefta zu Könige I 8:48
וְשָׁ֣בוּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבָם֙ וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁב֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ דֶּ֤רֶךְ אַרְצָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתָּ וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בנית [בָּנִ֥יתִי] לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃
Wenn sie von ganzem Herzen und von ganzer Seele zu dir zurückkehren im Land ihrer Feinde, die sie gefangen gehalten haben, und zu dir zu ihrem Land beten, das du ihren Vätern gegeben hast, der Stadt, die du gewählt hast, und der Haus, das ich für deinen Namen gebaut habe;
Tosefta Berakhot
A blind person and someone who cannot recognize the directions, [should] direct their hearts towards God, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And they should pray to Hashem…” (I Kings 8:44)4 Those that are standing outside of the Land of Israel [should] direct their hearts5 towards the Land of Israel, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And those that pray to You by the way of their land…” (I Kings 8:48) Those that are standing in the Land of Israel [should] direct their hearts towards Yerushalayim, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And they will pray to Hashem by the way of the city that You have chosen…” (I Kings 8:44) Those that are standing in Yerushalayim [should] direct their hearts towards Bet Hamikdash (Temple), as it is said, “…and they should pray towards this house.” (II Chronicles 6:32) Those that are standing inside the Bet Hamikdash [should] direct their hearts towards the Holy of Holies and [only then] pray, as it is said, “… they will pray towards this place.” (I Kings 8:30) It comes out that [all of those] standing in the north will be facing the south, [all of those] standing in the south will be facing the north, [all of those] standing in the east will be facing the west, [and all of those] standing in the west will be facing the east. And it will come out that all of the Jewish people will be praying towards one place.
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