Would one of our Hebrew-speaking Dopers be so kind as to translate this phrase into Hebrew – “Know the One before whom you stand.”
I watched a neat PBS program on 5 Jewish cantors (a father and his four sons) a few weeks ago, and the father recounted an episode in which one of his sons expressed his desire to quit singing during temple services. When his father asked why, the son said that singing in front of an audience made him too nervous. The father said, “You should be nervous!” and then in Hebrew he said “Know the One before whom you stand.”
That struck a resounding chord with me, and I’ve repeated that phrase to myself when I find myself distracted or becoming irreverent during prayer. It keeps me in line.