שמות, פרק ל״ח, פסוק י״ב

The physical layout of the Tabernacle courtyard was planned with exact geometric and spatial precision. Just like the main sanctuary it surrounded, the courtyard was built as a perfect rectangle [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The western boundary formed the width of this enclosure. Unlike the front of the courtyard, this western side was completely solid and sealed, built without any entrances or openings [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To properly picture the directions and layout of this sacred space, one can think of it in terms of the human body. Because the main entrance faced east, that eastern front was viewed as the face of the entire structure. Following this physical comparison, the closed western wall functioned as the back or the thighs of a person, while the areas closest to the eastern entrance acted as the shoulders [אבן עזרא].