Standing Before the Mystery: Da Lifnay

Da Lifnay mi atah omayd

Know before whom you stand! (adapted from Talmud, Brachot 28b)

These words are inscribed on many synagogue walls and are meant to remind the congregants of the seriousness of prayer. In the past I’ve dismissed this phrase as being too stern, too much like “Big Brother” watching and judging. Yet now, when I chant this phrase, an entirely new meaning emerges. The verb yada to “know” also means to “be intimate with” (to know someone in the Biblical sense).

As I chant, I am called into intimacy with The Great Mystery who stands before me. That Mystery is disguised as this world, as my life. As I stand before that Mystery I am called into my power, in order to fully engage. The veil between me and the world-as-God drops away, and I can experience the intimate knowing that I am not a separate observer, but rather an integral part of The Mystery of existence.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

Standing Before the Mystery

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Standing Before the Mystery PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 247.