QUESTION

New York, NY

According to which calculation of “facing East” do you suggest we follow? (See https://www.myzmanim.com/read/direction.aspx for a bigger discussion).

answer

I follow the general approach that halakhic measurements go by how we as normal human beings would measure things, not by precise instruments and quantifying that did not exist in the time of Chazal. For example, rather than asking how many degrees is yad soledet bo, I would ask if you can keep you hands under the water for 30 seconds or so without having to