Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Ayub 23:8

Wherever you find “opposite” it means facing to the east. Rashi is not saying that נגד always means eastward, for it is written (Bamidbar 2:2), “They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting, from a distance (מנגד) .” There it does not mean toward the east, [for they encamped on all sides]. Rather, Rashi means that wherever נגד refers to an opposite side, [it is toward the east]. This is because נגד conveys facing something, [i.e., they are “faceto-face.”] And east is called פנים , “face.” [See Iyov 23:8]. (Re”m)

ועשית את חצר המשכן לפאת נגב תימנה, “You are to construct the courtyard of the Tabernacle on the southern side, etc.” When explaining the length of the courtyard it was necessary for the Torah to mention the south side first to inform us that the hangings were 100 cubits long. The hangings opposite it to the north were of the same length. Later on, when the Torah describes the erection of the Tabernacle it also mentions the south side first followed by the north side opposite it (compare 26,18 and 26,20 respectively). Here the Torah explains that the dimensions of the courtyard were 100 by 50 cubits. The outer fifty cubits of these 100 cubits length formed the courtyard in front of the Tabernacle, whereas the inner (western) 50 cubits of that enclosure commenced at the level of the entrance of the Tabernacle so that it extended 20 cubits behind it. The width of the Tabernacle, i.e. the ten cubits were in the centre of the 50 cubits of the width of the courtyard so that there were 20 cubits of courtyard (width) on either side of the Tabernacle. (actually only 19 after allowing for the thickness of the beams forming the walls of the Tabernacle). At any rate, from the description provided in the text it is clear that it was the second half of the courtyard which “surrounded” the Tabernacle. In view of all this, it is easy to understand why the Torah first mentioned the south and the north to give us a clearer view of the length of the courtyard. When the Torah wanted to tell us the width of the courtyard it had to mention the fact that it extended in a western-easterly direction seeing that the entrance of the Tabernacle was in the middle of it. The unusual fact that the westerly direction is mentioned first is accounted for by the fact that three sides including the western side of the Tabernacle were surrounded by the hangings of the courtyard whereas the eastern end which was at least partially open was of a different character. Only the first 15 cubits on either side were an extension of the hangings of the long sides. The entrance gate to the courtyard was 20 cubits wide. When the Torah mentions all four sides of the courtyard and their hangings, it makes sense that seeing the eastern side was incomplete it should have been mentioned last, although generally speaking the Torah mentions east before west. The sequence followed by the Torah here is that first the two longest sides are mentioned followed by the western side which was still made up of an uninterrupted length of 50 cubits of these hangings, whereas the eastern side which had much shorter hangings on either the northern or the southern side was mentioned last.
Whenever the Torah lists the directions, the sequence is: east, west, north, south. One of the reasons why south is sometimes mentioned last is the fact that the south is relatively uninhabited due to its being very hot. The principle of listing the four major directions in a certain order is taken from Job 23, 8-9. We read there: “But if I go East- He is not there; West- I still do not perceive Him; North- since He is concealed I do not see Him; South-He is hidden and I cannot see Him.”

KEIDMAH MIZRACHAH’ (ON THE EAST SIDE EASTWARD).²¹¹Further, 27:13. — At this point Ramban begins to explain the significance of the Hebrew terms for “east, west etc.,” which are mentioned in connection with the arrangement of the boards. The word kedem (east) is not found in connection with the boards, as the Tabernacle on that side had only a curtain. Hence Ramban chose a verse from the following chapter which mentions kedem, and then he will revert to the theme of the boards, and explain the terms negbah, teimanah (the south side, southward) mentioned here in the following Verse 18. The reason for this expression is that the Sacred Language calls the east kedem, just as it is said, And ye shall measure without the city for the side of ‘keidmah’ (east) two thousand cubits,²¹²Numbers 35:5. and calls the west achor (back), just as it is said, Behold, I go ‘kedem’ (forward), but He is not there, v’achor (and backward), but I cannot perceive Him.²¹³Job 23:8. Similarly: As far as ‘ha’achron’ (the hinder) sea,²¹⁴Deuteronomy 34:2. which means the western sea. Both [kedem and achor] are borrowed terms, as the Sacred Language adopts these substitute forms from the standpoint of a person who turns to the light of the sun [thus calling the east panim, “face,” because his face is turned eastward to the rising sun, and the west achor, “back,” because his back is then to the west]. Similarly it says, and they went l’achor (backward) and not ‘l’panim’ (forward).²¹⁵Jeremiah 7:24. According to Ramban the sense of the verse is: they went away from the light [the word of G-d] and did not go towards it. And the south is called negev (dry, parched) because the land is dried up on account of the heat. At times Scripture mentions the borrowed term and then explains it by name. Thus it says keidmah, a term which is borrowed, and explains it by saying mizrachah (eastward),²¹¹Further, 27:13. — At this point Ramban begins to explain the significance of the Hebrew terms for “east, west etc.,” which are mentioned in connection with the arrangement of the boards. The word kedem (east) is not found in connection with the boards, as the Tabernacle on that side had only a curtain. Hence Ramban chose a verse from the following chapter which mentions kedem, and then he will revert to the theme of the boards, and explain the terms negbah, teimanah (the south side, southward) mentioned here in the following Verse 18. which is the name itself. Similarly, it says negbah, which is the borrowed name, and explains it by its proper name — teimanah (southward).²¹⁶Verse 18 (here in Chapter 26 before us). See above Note 211. And the west is called by the substitute name yam [which also means “sea”] because the language adopted it from the standpoint of the people living in the Land of Israel to whom the Great Sea is on the west. The north on the other hand has no by-name, and is so called tzaphon [which means “hidden”] because the sun never appears on that side. The south is called darom, just as it is said, The wind goeth toward ‘darom’ (the south), and turneth about into the north.²¹⁷Ecclesiastes 1:6. It is really a double word [dor rum — “it abides in the height,” a reference to the sun that always reaches its greatest height on that side], with one letter reish missing because of the combination of two similar letters: dor rum, which means that the sun [always] moves at its highest point on that side. The south is also called yamin [which means “right”] and the north is called smol [meaning “left”] with reference to a man who turns eastward [to face the light of the rising sun, in which case his right hand is to the south, and his left to the north], as I have mentioned.
The secret of these names is known from the mystic speculations on the Chariot on high [i.e. the vision of Ezekiel of the Divine Chariot]. Likewise, [the secret of] the name for the west which is yam (sea) is known from that which the Rabbis have said:²¹⁸Baba Bathra 25a. “The Divine Glory is in the west,” for the yam alludes to “the wisdom of Solomon,” just as the Rabbis have said in the Midrash:²¹⁹The exact source is unknown to me. See, however, in my Hebrew commentary p. 468, Note 52 for a similar thought in Yerushalmi Shekalim VI, 1. “Yam always signifies Torah, as it is said, and broader than ‘yam’ (the sea).”²²⁰Job 11:9. I intend to mention this in the section of V’zoth Habrachah²²¹Deuteronomy 33:1. on the verse, possess thou ‘yam’ (the sea) and the south,²²²Ibid., Verse 23. if my Creator will bless me to reach there.