Reciting “Ana Be’cho’ah”

After we recite in the morning the section of the Ketoret and the passage of "Abayeh Hava Mesader," we recite a very special prayer – Ana Be'cho'ah. This prayer was composed by one of the great Tanna'im – Rabbi Nehunya Ben Ha'kaneh, whom the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) describes as one of the earliest Kabbalists, preceding even Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai. The Ana Be'cho'ah prayer is so significant that the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) and many others write that if a person arrives late to Shaharit, and needs to skip the introductory portions of the prayer service, he should not skip Ana Be'cho'ah. This prayer consists of seven lines, each of which with six letters, for a total of 42 letters, and these 42 letters spell the special 42-letter Name of Hashem. This Name is the "elevator," the Name associated with rising to the upper worlds. It is critically important to recite Ana Be'cho'ah as part of our introduction to Shaharit because it elevates us to the heavens so we can present our Tefilot to G-d. By the time we recite the Amida, we want to be standing before the Heavenly Throne, so we can speak directly to the Almighty. The recitation of Ana Be'cho'ah elevates us to the higher spheres so we can speak to Hashem while standing in front of His Throne. It is proper to recite this Tefila slowly and to take note of the first letters of the words. This Name is alluded to also in the first paragraph of Shema, which consists of 42 words (from "Ve'ahabta" through "U'bi'sh'arecha"), corresponding to the 42 letters of this Name. For this reason, some Siddurim feature the letters of this divine Name alongside the words of this paragraph of Shema. Another allusion to this Name is found in Kaddish – specifically, in the phrase "Ve'yishtabah Ve'yitpa'ar Ve'yitromam Ve'yitnaseh Ve'yit'hadar Ve'yit'aleh Ve'yit'halal," which consists of seven words that each contains six letters, for a total of 42. Some have the custom to recite Ana Be'cho'ah each night before going to sleep. The soul departs and rises to the heavens when one sleeps, and so it is appropriate to recite this prayer which, as mentioned, is associated with elevation and ascent. Likewise, it is customary to recite Ana Be'cho'ah at funerals, Heaven forbid, as the coffin is being taken for burial, and the soul is ready to rise to the heavens. In some communities, Ana Be'cho'ah is recited before Lecha Dodi on Friday night, as we elevate ourselves to the higher plane of Shabbat. Likewise, many recite this prayer after counting the Omer, as the Omer counting is intended to elevate us in preparation for Matan Torah on Shabuot. The custom to read Ana Be'cho'ah following the recitation of "Abayeh Hava Mesader" was taught by the Arizal, as brought in Sha'ar Ha'kavanot. This is cited by the Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939). The Seder Ha'yom (Rav Moshe Ben Machir, Safed, 16 th century), by contrast, writes that it is better to recite Ana Be'cho'ah later, just before Baruch She'amar. He explains that the world was created with the power of this 42-letter Name, and so it is appropriate to allude to this Name just before reciting "Baruch She'amar Ve'haya Ha'olam," when we give praise to Hashem who created the world. However, we follow the Arizal's teaching, that Ana Be'cho'ah should be recited after the section of "Abayeh Hava Mesader." One possible explanation for the Arizal's custom is that the section of "Abayeh Hava Mesader," which lists the various Abodot (services) performed daily in the Bet Ha'mikdash, omits Birkat Kohaim (the priestly blessing), which was recited each day in the Bet Ha'mikdash. In the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Kohanim reciting Birkat Kohanim would use the Shem Ha'meforash – the divine Name that is normally forbidden to utter, and according to some, this was the 42-letter Name. Perhaps, then, we add Ana Be'cho'ah – which is associated with this Name – after the section of "Abayeh Hava Mesader" to allude to the daily recitation of Birkat Kohanim in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Ana Be'cho'ah prayer concludes with the pronouncement of "Baruch Shem Kebod Malchuto Le'olam Va'ed," giving praise to the exalted Name of G-d, which this prayer expresses.