(Beraisa - R. Yehudah): The Mizbe'ach is centered between Tzafon and Darom (north and south).

59a: R. Yosi holds that the Mizbe'ach is entirely in Tzafon.

R. Eliezer ben Yakov holds that the Mizbe'ach is entirely in Darom.

Yoma 33b (Beraisa): The Shulchan was in the north, two and a half Amos from the wall. The Menorah was in the south, two and a half Amos from the wall. The Mizbe'ach was in the middle, a little towards the outside.

Mishnah (Midos 5:1): The Azarah was 187 Amos from east to west. Ezras Yisrael was 11 Amos wide, the place (past that) where Kohanim walk was 11 Amos wide, the Mizbe'ach was 32 Amos. There were 22 Amos between the Mizbe'ach and the Ulam.

Menachos 98 (Beraisa #1): The Shulchanos were in the inner half (of the Heichal).

Contradiction (Beraisa #2): They were (all at least) a third of the way in.

Resolution: (The length of the Heichal (east-west) spans 40 Amos of Kodesh, and 20 Amos of Kodesh ha'Kodoshim. The Shulchanos began 20 Amos into the Kodesh.) Beraisa #1 means that they were in the inner half of the Kodesh. Beraisa #2 means that they were a third of the way into the (entire) Heichal.

Sukah 51b: The great Beis ha'Keneses of Alexandria had a wooden Bimah in the middle. The Gabai stood on it holding cloths. When it was time to answer Amen, he waved a cloth, and everyone answered Amen.

Rif (Megilah 14a): A Tosefta says that Zekenim sit facing the people. Their backs are to the Kodesh. When the Kohanim Duchan, they face the people and their backs are to the Kodesh. When they put the Teivah, they face the people and their backs are to the Kodesh.

Ran (DH Pneihem): The Tosefta says that they face the people and their backs are to the Kodesh, i.e. the place where they put the Teivah, i.e. the Aron that houses the Sifrei Torah. People sit facing it. Zekenim, i.e. Chachamim, sit facing the people and their backs are to the Kodesh. When they put the Teivah, i.e. they take it out and put in in the street, Zekenim face the people and their backs are to the Kodesh, and the people face the Kodesh.

Rambam (Hilchos Tefilah 11:3): We erect the Bimah in the middle of the Beis ha'Keneses, so all will hear one who reads the Torah or speaks to the people to humble them. We set up the Teivah (box) that contains the Sefer Torah in the middle. The back of the Teivah faces the Heichal, and the front faces the people.

Kesef Mishneh: How can the Rambam say that we set up the Bimah and Teivah in the middle? He cannot mean that the Teivah is the Aron in which Seforim are always kept. He writes later that the Heichal is built in the wall! He cannot refer to a second Teivah on which we read the Torah, for he says that they read on the Bimah! The custom of all Yisrael is that the one who reads faces the Kodesh. The Tosefta that the Rif brought says unlike this, that he faces the people and his back is to the Kodesh! The Ran's text of the Tosefta says that when they put the Teivah in the street, the Zekenim face the people and their backs are to the Kodesh. This is unlike the Rambam's text. I say that Teivah is a small wooden Bimah on which they put the Sefer Torah at the time of Kri'as ha'Torah. They put it in the middle of the (big) Bimah. 'Pnei ha'Teivah' does not refer to the one who reads. Rather, it is the side they read on. This is like our custom; Pnei ha'Teivah (the side we read on) faces the people. The back faces the Kodesh. Do not ask from the Bimos some build nowadays in the back of the Beis ha'Keneses, not in the middle, and the Teivos on which they put the Torah at the end of the Bimah, and not in the middle. There is no obligation to put it in the middle. It depends on the time and place. Batei Kenesiyos used to be exceedingly big, so they needed to put the Bimah in the middle so everyone could hear. Nowadays, our Batei Kenesiyos are small, and everyone hears. It is more beautiful to put it on the side. Even though nowadays we do not put the Sefer Torah in the middle of the Bimah, perhaps this is to honor Chachamim.

Tosfos (Sukah 52a DH v'Kivan): The Yerushalmi says that the Bimah (on which we read the Torah) is in the middle.

Rema (150:5): We make the Bimah in the middle of the Beis ha'Keneses. One who reads from the Torah stands on it, and everyone hears.

Bi'ur Halachah (DH b'Emtza): This is clear from the Rambam and Tur, and it is a long-standing custom. The source is from Sukah 51b, like the Gra says. Due to our sins, some places breached the old custom and began to make the Bimah close to the Aron Kodesh, to be like the Nochrim who do so in their temples. The Poskim denounced this.

Chasam Sofer (OC 28): A Tzibur enlarged their Beis ha'Keneses, and want to put the Bimah at the end of the Beis ha'Keneses, near the Aron Kodesh, not in the middle like it used to be. They say that this is more beautiful. The Rambam says that we erect the Bimah in the middle, so all will hear. The Tur and Rema bring this. One who seeks to change has the lower hand. The Kesef Mishneh defended those who put it near the Aron Kodesh; the reason to put it in the middle was so everyone can hear. I say that they erred. In Alexandria, they needed cloths, because people did not hear. They could have put it at the end (i.e. front), and people would still see the cloths. If necessary, they could have had another man waving cloths in the middle (so people at the back could see). Even so, they put it in the middle. This shows that it is improper to put it at the end. The Bimah on which we read Parshas Korbanos is like the Mizbe'ach. We circle the Bimah on Sukos like they used to circle the Mizbe'ach. Mizbe'ach ha'Ketores in front of the Aron was in the middle of the Bayis (Heichal), between the Menorah and Shulchan. Our Bimah is inside, like the inner Mizbe'ach, so it is proper to put it in the middle of the Beis ha'Keneses, as much like the Beis ha'Mikdash as possible. Even the Kesef Mishneh only defdended those building a new Beis ha'Keneses, but if an old Beis ha'Keneses had a Bimah in the middle, one may not change it. The Pesikta (Yerushalmi Shabbos 12:3) says that a Keresh (beam of the Mishkan) that merited to be in the north should not be moved to the south. Maharil learns from here to boards used for a Sukah for the Mitzvah (brought in Be'er Heitev 630:6).

Meshiv Davar (1:15): The Rambam says 'we set up the Teivah that contains the Sefer Torah in the middle.' The Kesef Mishneh explained that the Teivah is the table that the Sefer Torah rests on. It is in the middle of the Bimah. The Rambam did not give a reason for this. Being off center on the Bimah would not affect people's ability to hear! Rather, there is another reason. The Kesef Mishneh said that we want to honor Chachamim. This is astounding. Why are we more concerned now than before?! Rather, the custom used to be center it between north and south. There is no custom about east-west. The reason so everyone will hear does not apply so much to Kri'as ha'Torah. They did not make a Bimah for the Kohen Gadol (who reads on Yom Kipur) like they made for the king (who reads Hakhel). We do not find that we call to the Torah only one with a loud voice whom everyone will hear. Rather, it is for one who says words to humble the Tzibur. We fix it in the middle for him, and then we also read the Torah there. The table we read on is like the Mizbe'ach in the Azarah. This is why we circle it with Lulavim. We hold the Sefer Torah on the Bimah at the time of Teki'as Shofar, to resemble trumpets blown when Korbanos were offered. After the Churban, nothing protects and causes us to be remembered for good like the Torah.

Minchas Yitzchak (3:4): Some say that the Chasam Sofer permits to put the Bimah above in a new Beis ha'Keneses. The Rambam and Rema say that we put it in the middle. They did not say 'this is the custom.' This shows that it is a law, and not just a custom. If there were no compelling reason to have it in the middle, in Alexandria they would have put it towards the front, to enable Chachamim to hear Birkas ha'Torah. The Rambam says that the reason is in order that people hear. The Chasam Sofer said that people who change err. I.e. the Rambam gave one reason, but there are also other reasons.

Sedei Chemed (Asifas Dinim Beis ha'Keneses 13): Some question the Chasam Sofer, for we hold that the Mizbe'ach was not in the middle. They thought that he meant from north to south. Really, he meant that it is in the middle from east to west.

Minchas Yitzchak (3:4:6): The Chasam Sofer said that it is like the inner Mizbe'ach. Imrei Esh (OC 7) says that it is like the Mizbe'ach in the middle of the Azarah, i.e. the outer Mizbe'ach. Those who questioned the Chasam Sofer thought that he discusses the outer Mizbe'ach. We hold unlike R. Yehudah, who says that it was in the middle, rather, like Midos 5:2, which says that most was in the south. The Mizbe'ach was in the middle from east to west. There were 22 Amos from the beginning of the Azarah to the Mizbe'ach, and 22 from the Mizbe'ach to the Ulam. However, the Chasam Sofer explicitly said that he discusses the inner Mizbe'ach! Yoma 33 says that the inner Mizbe'ach was in the middle, i.e. between north and south. However, it says that it was not exactly in the middle between east and west! Here we discuss whether the Bimah must be in the middle between east and west! However, the Yerushalmi (Shekalim 6:3) says that the inner Mizbe'ach was in the middle of the Bayis. Korban ha'Edah explains that it was in the middle when we exclude the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim. The Heichal without the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim was 40 Amos long. The Mizbe'ach began after 20 Amos. Seemingly, this shows that it need not be perfectly centered. It suffices to start from the inner middle. Igros Sofrim says that the Kesef Mishneh defended people who built the Bimah towards the west. This is because the outer Mizbe'ach was near the east of the Azarah. Our custom is to put it in the middle, like the inner Mizbe'ach, which was in the middle. Newcomers want to put it in the east, near the Aron Kodesh. This does not commemorate the Heichal at all. There is no support for them. I find Igros Sofrim difficult, because the outer Mizbe'ach was in the middle of the Azarah from east to west! Perhaps he supports their practice from the opinion (Menachos 98b) that counts the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim with the Heichal. The inner Mizbe'ach was closer to the east. There is no source to put the Bimah closer to the east (of the Beis ha'Keneses). Imrei Esh says that the Kesef Mishneh defended people who held that the Bimah need not resemble the Mizbe'ach, but we must be able to circle it on Sukos, so it cannot be connected to the Aron Kodesh (like newcomers wanted to do). Al Pi Sod, it is in the middle to allude to Shlomo's throne; he attained his Chachmah b'Emtza'os (through) ha'Torah. Divrei Yirmeyah explains that at the time of Kri'as ha'Torah we are like Yisrael who surrounded the Ohel Mo'ed in the Midbar.

Igros Moshe (OC 2:41): The Kesef Mishneh connotes that in a big Beis ha'Keneses, the Bimah must be in the middle. We do not rely on people who promise that they will come close for Kri'as ha'Torah to hear it. Perhaps they will be lazy. In the U.S., we must be concerned lest this lead to the Isur of using a microphone on Shabbos! This results when the Bimah is not in the middle, and people cannot hear Kri'as ha'Torah and Chazaras ha'Shatz and the Rav's speech. Since there is no solid source that it must be in the middle, one need not be exactly in the middle. It must be far enough from the Aron Kodesh to enable Hakafos. This is a more solid reason than the fact that on some Shabbosos we read Parshas ha'Korbanos.