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When their minds wander during prayer services, people find different things to focus on. For some it may be work projects, for others family dilemmas or crises, and for still others politics, sports, or vacation plans.

Admittedly, each topic area has provided me with mental refuge on occasion. There are times, though, when my distracted concentration gazes a bit above the day-to-day business of my life. At those times, I take stock of the scriptural inscriptions on the synagogue's ark. Over the past few years, I've noted a variety of verses printed on the curtains covering the ark or the wooden frame above it. They can range from the most basic, such as the "Shema Yisrael" emblazoned on the ark cover in the main sanctuary of Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park, to the historic and reassuring "VeAsu Le Mikdash VshaCHanti B'ToCham" (Let them make me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them; Exodus 25:8) engraved on a plaque near the ark in the same synagogue's small sanctuary, to many other verses offering a variety of messages.

In my unscientific observation, one verse is far more commonly employed than all others. I've seen the same verse imprinted -- among other places -- on the ark cover in the small sanctuary of the (Orthodox) Young Israel of Brookline, Mass., that I visited this past summer, on the ceiling above the ark in the sanctuary of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, and on the frame above the ark in Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park. That verse is "Da Lifnei Mi Ata Omaid" -- Know before Whom you stand. Noting the frequency with which this verse is used as an ark accompaniment, I decided to look into its origin.

I thought, when I started my research, that the common use of this verse must reflect its appearance in one of the foundational books of our faith -- the Five Books of Moses, the Prophets, or perhaps one of the books of wisdom written by King Solomon (Song of Songs/Shir HaShirim, Proverbs/Mishlei, or Ecclesiastes/Kohelet). I was mistaken.

The verse does not appear in any of these sources. The verse does appear, in a manner of speaking, in the Talmud. But there, it's only used in the plural. In Talmud Berachos (28B), we can read the following: "When Rabbi Eliezer became ill, his students entered to visit him. They said to him: Our Teacher, teach us the ways of life that we may merit through them the life of the world to come. He said to them: Be mindful of the honor of your colleagues, and restrain your children from (excessive) recitation (of the written law, without attention to the oral law) and place them between the knees of Torah scholars. And when you pray, know before whom you stand. And on account of this you will merit the world to come."

I find it fascinating that the verse in question, in this source, is preceded first by an injunction relating to interpersonal behavior and then by two related to the religious instruction of youth. As I interpret the passage, Rabbi Eliezer is telling his students that before they become preoccupied with their personal piety, they must be sure to treat each other respectfully and to ensure that their children are properly engaged in learning about their Yiddishkeit.

As I learned after consulting with members of the kollel that meets in Congregation Ohav Emeth, there is one source -- far less commonly studied -- that contains the verse in question in singular. That source is "The Last Will and Testament of Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol" -- he is, of course, the same tanna (religious authority at the time the Mishnah was redacted) who is quoted in the above verse from the Talmud. I learned further that this verse was quoted later in the book "Path of the Just," by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, and in a number of the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z'tl. In all likelihood, it was these two more contemporary figures that popularized the phrase and brought in into public discourse.

It is worth asking, though, why this verse has become so popular and why the singular version has taken hold, as opposed to the plural version that (arguably) is more accessible in the Talmud.

I suppose that, if I had sufficient resources and unlimited time, I could pursue a comprehensive answer to this question by consulting synagogue archives, consulting Judaic scholars, and interviewing the religious and lay leaders of synagogues that employ the phrase in their facilities. Even if I were to engage in such an exhaustive pursuit, I strongly suspect that the results of my research would be inconclusive.

From my experience in synagogue leadership, archives on minor synagogue renovations or stylistic choices (such as selecting a phrase for the ark) are often scant or nonexistent. And the decisions of prior rabbis or synagogue officers on phrases to be added to their ark would have been influenced, to some degree, on the phrases they had seen on other synagogues over prior decades. In the case of the latter synagogues, it is quite likely that the relevant rabbis or officers are no longer available to share their recollections.

Absent the comprehensive approach, my best recourse then is to make an "educated guess." I contend that the singular version of this phrase has developed such a strong foothold in our synagogues because it well reflects the individualistic ethos of our times. Our prayers are written predominantly in the plural and we are mindful of the heightened value of communal prayer. Yet for Jews of the 21st century living in democratic America, many of us safely ensconced in suburbia, it is our personal relationship with God that resonates most deeply for us -- not the relationship implied in "Hear O' Israel" (plural), nor the one in "Let them build me a sanctuary" (plural), but the one to one bond reflected in the phrase "Know before whom you stand."

My wife Fran has a different answer to the question of why the singular version of the phrase became more common. Drawing on imagery that is frequently used when synagogues and schools write their own sefer Torah (Torah scroll), she asserts that just as the validity of the Torah rests on the integrity of each and every letter inscribed therein, so too our Jewish institutions depend on the service and commitment of each individual member. She contends that Jewish leaders seek to convey this symbolism, by placing the phrase "Know before Whom you stand" on or near their ark.

One last aspect of the phrase, as it is commonly used, merits consideration. In "The Last Will and Testament of Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol," the rabbi employs the phrase in a way that mirrors the phrase in the Talmud; he writes (Chapter 24): "When you pray, know before whom you stand." Yet the version we see on ark curtains or ark paneling omits the qualifier "When you pray". Why?

Perhaps subsequent scholars, rabbis, and communal officers shortened the phrase for the sake of conciseness. Or maybe some of these leaders understood that the compelling instruction of the phrase -- to be strive to be mindful of our Creator, in all His power and glory -- is a message that we would do well to heed throughout our entire days and not just in those vital but fleeting moments of prayer.

Author's note: I am very grateful to Rabbi Aba Brudny and Shraga Silverberg, of the Kollel at Congregation Ohav Emeth, who graciously helped me with the research for this essay. Harry Glazer is a resident of Highland Park. He invites email responses to this essay and can be reached at donlegofzechut@yahoo.com.