Dear all,
Engraved on the doors of the Ark at Temple Akiba is the Talmudic statement:
“דע לפני מי אתה עומד (Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed)/ Know Before Whom You Stand”
(I’ve captured only the first Hebrew word: דע in this photo).
What makes this teaching so incredible is that there is no simple answer.
Take a moment in time to ask this of yourself:
Before whom am I standing when:
I am looking at old family photos?
I am praying?
I am looking into the eyes of my loved one?
I am at the Western Wall in Israel?
I am afraid?
I am starting a new job?
I am overjoyed?
I am angry?
I am holding a grudge?
I am doing a mitzvah?
I am passing the Torah to the next generation?
I am looking in the mirror?
Once you find your answer – ask yourself the question again. And again. Again.
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
