Laws of the Synagogue

(1) We burden the city (every person to the other) in order to build a synagogue and to buy a torah, nevi'im, and ketuvim.

(2) Build the synagogue at the highest point in the city. Make it taller than all the other used buildings (as opposed to spires and such for decoration or other purposes or unused towers). A slanted roof that is not fit to use, we measure it from the part that is fit to use, that is, if there is room to put a second story under that roof, it should not be higher than the synagogue. Rama: in a difficult situation, or if you are in fear of the king that you don't have permission to build a synagogue in the appropriate manner, you may pray in a house, even though someone lives above it, as long as you dwell in the area above it cleanly.

Higher than all the houses of the city- As it says "elevate the House of G-d". There are places that are not careful with this. The achronim write that the reason for this is since there are many houses of idolatry that are taller than the synagogue so there is no distinction to the synagogue. In any case, it is fitting, ideally, to be careful with this, and where ever it is possible because the gemara is very strict about this.

If someone builds his house higher than the synagogue, some say that we make him destroy it. Rama: and if the synagogue is taller in just one corner, that is sufficient.

One corner of the synagogue- Meaning to say, that one corner of one of the walls of the synagogue is taller. Specifically the roof of the upper floor, but not with a metal pole which doesn't help at all with this.

If you build facing a window of a synagogue, you can't just leave 4 cubits space because it needs a lot of light.

Can't just leave- Meaning to say, if you build a personal wall facing your friend's window, the law is that you need to leave 4 cubits space so you don't block is window, and that is enough, but a synagogue, that needs a lot of light, the hazaka of the window that was there before requires you to leave even more space. It is not clear how much more, but in any case 8 cubits is surely enough. See the Pri Megadim who is unsure regarding the courtyard or the women's section if those only need 4 cubits. It seems to me that you don't need to add more, because even by the main law the Mehaber is not clear...

The door to the synagogue can only be opposite the direction that people pray in that city. That if they pray Westward, the door should be in the East, in order that they should bow from the entryway towards the Arc that is in the direction they pray towards. Rama: Make the bimah in the middle of the synagogue so that when they stand to read the Torah, everyone can hear. And when the Shliach Tzibor prays, he faces the holy. The order of the yeshiva is that the elders sit in front facing the congregation and everyone else sits in rows facing the holy and facing the elders.

In that city- Therefore, in our countries, that we pray and bow eastward (that is, because we live west of Israel), we need to make the entrance of the synagogue in the West in order that we bow from the door towards the holy arc. The Magein Avraham writes that if the door is on some other side, then the synagogue gets destroyed, then some people want to rebuild it properly [with the door on the West], other people can't protest even if they are the majority and even if it will disrupt the order of the yeshiva.

Don't have a doorway etc. - In a difficult situation, it is obvious that this does not [stop the synagogue from being a place of prayer] at all ... The Miiri writes that the only concern is regarding the doorway that most of the congregation enters through, but other doorways can be made on any side. You should also know that the law of the Shulchan Aruch is only on the entryway to the synagogue itself, which is not the case by the doors to the corridors which can be any which way. The Chasam Sofer also writes this and it is obvious.