"Know where you came from and where you are going."
Translation:דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך.
5 Comments
This is a part of a very famous Mishna in the tractate "Avot", and was said by Rabbi Akavia son of Mahallal'el (lived during the 1st century): דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך ולפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון. מאין באת - מטיפה סרוחה, ולאן אתה הולך - למקום עפר רימה ותולעה, ולפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון - לפני מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא. [Know where you came from and where you are going, and before whom you are to report and to stand for judgment. Where you came from - from a drop of stinch (referring to the male sperm), and where you are going - to a place of dust, maggots and worms, and before whom you are to report and to stand for judgment - before the king of kings of kings, the holy one blessed be he. (yeah, you got it right: that's God)]
This is actually rather terrifying, and a very religious text. Anyway, every Jewish funeral includes it, right before the burial.
It's like saying: know from whence you come from Instead of know from whence you came.
