Tosefta for Numbers 3:38
וְהַחֹנִ֣ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֡ן קֵ֣דְמָה לִפְנֵי֩ אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֨ד ׀ מִזְרָ֜חָה מֹשֶׁ֣ה ׀ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן וּבָנָ֗יו שֹֽׁמְרִים֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁ לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהַזָּ֥ר הַקָּרֵ֖ב יוּמָֽת׃
And those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, even the charge for the children of Israel; and the common man that drew nigh was to be put to death.
Tosefta Megillah
How would the elders sit? They would face the congregation and have their backs to the Holy. When they set down the Ark, [the elders] would face the people with their backs to the Holy. When the Kohanim lifted their hands, they would face the people with their backs to Holy. The prayer-leader of the congregation faces the Holy and all the people face the the Holy, as it says (Lev. 8:4), "And the assembly was gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." We do not open an entryway to a synagogue except toward the east, as it says (Num. 3:38), "Those who camp before the Tabernacle, to the east, before the Tent of Meeting, to the west." We do not build [a synagogue] except at the highest point of the city, as it says (Prov. 1:21), "At the head of the thoroughfare she (i.e., Wisdom) calls."
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