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Standing with One’s Back to the Aron Hakodesh

The halachah is that one may not turn their back to a Sefer Torah. According to many poskim, standing with one’s back to an aron hakodesh while it’s housing a Sefer Torah is inappropriate as well. This being the case, how come rabbonim (rabbis) are permitted to give drashos (sermons) facing the crowd, thereby standing with their backs to the aron hakodesh? In fact, at times, such as when reciting “Bo’i V’shalom” in the prayer of L’chah Dodi, all the congregants turn to face the opposite direction, standing briefly with their backs to the aron hakodesh. 

There are a number of suggested answers why it is permitted, provided that some (or all) of the following conditions are met: 

the aron hakodesh is built in a way that the Sefer Torah is placed ten tefachim or higher above the ground;

it’s done b’derech ara’i (temporarily);

it’s done for k’vod hatzibbur (out of respect for the community); or

it’s done for the purpose of a mitzvah. 

Nevertheless, there were many rabbonim who did not stand with their backs to the aron hakodesh when giving their drashos. Although they would have been permitted to do so, since they were speaking words of Torah, they chose not to out of respect for the Sefer Torah, or because they were concerned that their intentions may not have been purely l’shem Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven). Some suggest that Bar Mitzvah boys should not stand with their backs to the aron hakodesh while delivering their speech, since their motivation is not l’shem Shamayim—to bring the crowd to teshuvah. However, since speaking publicly inspires the Bar Mitzvah boy himself to advance in Torah and mitzvos, the custom has become to allow him to stand with his back to the aron hakodesh while speaking, like the rav. #392