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Four quarters have been created in the world; the quarter facing the east, that facing the south, that facing the west and that facing the north. From the quarter facing the east the light goeth forth to the world. From the quarter facing south the dews of blessing and the rains of blessing go forth to the world. From the quarter facing west where are the treasuries of snow and the treasuries of hail, and thence come forth into the world cold and heat and rains. From the quarter facing north darkness goeth forth into the world…

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3:11

“Those who encamp to the east, the banner of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts, and the prince of the children of Judah is Nahsḥon, son of Aminadav” (Numbers 2:3).
“Those who encamp to the east, the banner of the camp of Judah…,” that is what is written: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, [established the heavens with understanding]” (Proverbs 3:19). The Holy One blessed be He created the four directions of the world: east, west, north, and south. East, from there light emerges to the world…

Bamidbar Rabbah 2:10

With regard to the measurements of a city’s boundaries, the Sages taught the following baraita: If, in order to measure the Shabbat limit, one comes to square a city, i.e., to extend the city’s boundaries to include all of its protrusions within an imaginary square, he squares it so that the sides of the square align with the four directions of the world. He sets the northern side of the square to align with the north of the world, and its southern side to align with the south of the world…

Eruvin 56a:4-6

יערוף כמטר לקחי, “may my discourse come down as rain;” the words that I am going to address to you are not meaningless, but just as the value of the rain when it comes down to earth is not immediately visible and felt as a benefit, nonetheless eventually it is responsible for the growing and ripening of the fruit on the trees, and its benefit becomes evident.” An alternate interpretation of Moses’ introductory comments: may it be the Lord’s will that my words will not return to me empty, but that they will grow like fruit in your hearts and in the hearts of all those who listen to them…

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 32:2:1-5

The North is cold and moist, and its element, fire, hot and dry, and, contrariwise, the South is warm and dry, and its element, water, cold and moist, and so the Holy One mixes them. For water comes from the South, enters into the North, and flows again from the North; and fire comes out from the North, and enters into the South, and it is from the South that powerful heat goes out into the world. For the Holy One makes one borrow from the other as He sees right. In a similar fashion He proceeds with the air and the East.

Zohar, Vaera 3:37

בראשית. The reason why G-d commenced the Torah with the letter ב, the second letter in the alphabet, instead of with letter א the first letter in the alphabet, is to draw our attention to the fact that the letter ב is surrounded from three sides, i.e. from east, west, and south, whereas the fourth side is left open, a warning that evil winds may blow from the north unimpeded by a barrier. We have a tradition dating back to Jeremiah, that disaster threatening the Jewish people has a habit of commencing from the North (Jeremiah1.14) …

Chizkuni, Genesis 1:1:1

But Rabbi Abbahu says: The Divine Presence is in the west, as Rabbi Abbahu says: What is the meaning of oriyya, which is a name for the west? It means the air of God [avir Yah], i.e., this is the place of the Divine Presence. The Gemara cites a statement connected to the four winds. Rav Yehuda said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew; as the small rain upon the tender growth…

Bava Batra 25a:11-25b:8

SOUTHWARD. Kohath was placed at the right because he was the most important of all the sons of Levi, and the right is more important than the left or the back. There is no side, with the exception of the east, more important. Gershon had an advantage over Merari, for Gershon was the first-born of Levi. Hence he carried that which was holy, in contrast to what Merari carried. Gershon therefore camped on the west, like the standard of Ephraim. Merari camped on the north like Dan, who was the son of the handmaid. Now the Kohathites camped next to the banner of Reuben…

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 3:29:1

והיו שמונה קרשים, “there shall be eight beams, etc.” Two of the eight beams overlapped with the beams forming the long sides of the Tabernacle, one at the southern end and one at the northern end. There were therefore six beams left which formed the western wall without any part of them serving as extensions of the long walls. This is what was meant by verse 22 ולירכתי המשכן תעשה ששה קרשים, “and for the end of the Tabernacle you are to construct 6 beams. This verse reveals a mystical dimension. Seeing that the Shechinah which is situated in the west is composed of 6 extremities…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 26:25:1

ימה וצפונה ותימנה ומזרחה, “westward, northward, southward and eastward.” We do not find that the Bible describes the four directions of the wind in a uniform manner. Sometimes the Bible commences by mentioning the direction “east,” such as in Job 23,8: הן קדם אהלך ואיננו ואחור ולא אבין לו שמאל בעשותו ולא אחז יעטוף ימין ולא אראה, “but if I go (forward) East — He is not there; and backward (West) — I still do not perceive Him; “on the left hand (North) where He does work — since He is concealed, I do not behold Him; on the right hand (South) He is hidden, and I cannot see Him…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Devarim 3:27:1-2

“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting eastward: Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel; and the commoner who approaches shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:38).
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east” – Kehat merited that his descendants surrounded the Tabernacle in two directions. The tribe of Levi became four divisions to surround the four directions of the Tabernacle, corresponding to the four banners…

Bamidbar Rabbah 3:12

The sun proceeds and makes his way toward the west; when the west is approached the north side bestirs itself to come forward to meet it, and joins it. Then “he rejoices as a strong man to run his course” (Ps. Ibid.), so as to shed his light on the moon. Now the words WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS contain an allusion to the celestial all of which are lit up together from the radiance of the sun.’

Zohar, Beha'alotcha 1:4

Therefore man was created from the dust of the lower Sanctuary; and the four winds of the world united at that place which afterwards was named the House of Holiness, and these four were then joined to the four elements of the lower world: fire, air, earth, and water. And when these winds and these elements were thus mingled, the Holy One, blessed be He, formed one body of wondrous perfection. Therefore it is plain that the substances composing man’s body belong to two worlds, namely, the world below and the world above.’

Zohar, Vaera 3:33

for as soon as two standards had commenced to march, then “the tent of meeting, the camp of the Levites, journeyed”, and then two others set forth.

Zohar, Bamidbar 3:30

A priest who loves not the people, or whom they love not, may not pronounce the blessing. So Scripture says: “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed” (Prov. 22, 9), where the word YeBoRaKH (shall be blessed) can also be read YeBaReKH (shall bless).’ R. Isaac said: ‘Note that the wicked Balaam, when he was entrusted with the task of blessing Israel, fixed on them an evil eye so as to prevent the blessing from being fulfilled. So Scripture says: “The saying of Balaam the son of Beor” (Num…

Zohar, Nasso 19:187

Should the blessing be removed, the “other side” may swoop down and inflict harm. The text continues:

Zohar, Bamidbar 1:14

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