The Prayer "Ana BeKoach" - The Secret of the Arizal

The Prayer "Ana BeKoach" - The Secret of the Arizal

The mekubalim taught us to recite the prayer "Ana BeKoach" twice a day: once in the morning during Shacharit, and a second time during Kriat Shema Al HaMitah. This prayer was written by Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah. It became known from his "Sefer HaKanah" - a book of Kabbalah in which even the great sages could barely understand every word. This prayer contains many secrets and ideas. In detail, all the secrets of "Ana BeKoach"

1. The Number 42 - "Mem-Bet"
2. The Number 42 in "Ana BeKoach"
3. The Secrets of the Final Redemption
4. The 42 Youths and Elisha HaNavi
5. Kaddish and the Number 42
6. You will find "Pidyon Nefesh" with the Name "Mem-Bet" according to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov here at the link: https://silatehilim.com/анна-бекоах-имя-мем-бет-и-число-42/

We will focus on the secret of the Arizal HaKadosh (may his merit shield us). In "Ana BeKoach" there are 7 pesukim - corresponding to the 7 days of the week and the 7 rakia (firmaments). Each pasuk (verse) consists of 6 words - rashei teivot (first letters) - corresponding to the names of Malachim/Seraphim, who have 6 wings, as it is written in the book of Yeshayahu (6:2): "Before Him stand seraphim; each had 6 wings, 6 wings each: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew." The malach formed by reading the first letters of each line of "Ana BeKoach" awakens and raises our prayers to Heaven. Here are these names (in parentheses)

• אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ גְּדֻלַּת יְמִינְךָ תַּתִּיר צְרוּרָה (אב׳׳ג ית׳׳ץ)

Ana BeKoach Gedulat Yeminecha Tatir Tzerurah

• קַבֵּל רִנַּת עַמְּךָ שַׂגְּבֵנוּ טַהֲרֵנוּ נוֹרָא (קר׳׳ע שט׳׳ן)

Kabel Rinat Amecha Sagvenu Taharenu Nora

• נָא גִבּוֹר דּוֹרְשֵׁי יִחוּדְךָ כְּבָבַת שָׁמְרֵם (נג׳׳ד יכ׳׳ש)

Na Gibor Dorshei Yichudecha Kevavat Shomrem

• בָּרְכֵם טַהֲרֵם רַחֲמֵי צִדְקָתְךָ תָּמִיד גָּמְלֵם (בט׳׳ר צת׳׳ג)

Barchem Taharem Rachamei Tzidkatecha Tamid Gomlem

• חֲסִין קָדוֹשׁ בְּרוֹב טוּבְךָ נַהֵל עֲדָתֶך (חק׳׳ב טנ׳׳ע)

Chasin Kadosh Berov Tuvcha Nahel Adatecha

• יָחִיד גֵּאֶה לְעַמְּךָ פְּנֵה זוֹכְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁתֶך (יג׳׳ל פז׳׳ק)

Yachid Geeh Le'amcha Peneh Zochrei Kedushatecha

• שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ קַבֵּל וּשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתֵנוּ יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת (שק׳׳ו צי׳׳ת)

Shav'atenu Kabel Ushma Tza'akatenu Yode'a Ta'alumot בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד [Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le'olam Va'ed]   The Arizal HaKadosh teaches that "Ana BeKoach" has enormous benefit, effectiveness - תועלת "toelet" in Hebrew.

• The gematria of the first letters of the first pasuk: "Ana BeKoach Gedulat Yeminecha Tatir Tzerurah" (אב׳׳ג ית׳׳ץ) - equals 506, and this is the gematria of the word "tola" - worm.
• The gematria of the first letters of the last pasuk: "Shav'atenu Kabel Ushma Tza'akatenu Yode'a Ta'alumot" (שק׳׳ו צי׳׳ת) - equals the gematria of תולעת "tola'at" (worms) - 906 - already in the plural.

The words תועלת "toelet" (benefit) and תולעת "tola'at" (worms) - consist of the same letters. When Jews recite this holy prayer, teaches the Arizal HaKadosh, two holy Names of Angels emerge from the first and last pesukim - corresponding to all-devouring worms - and they consume all their enemies in their path. Kavanah One should visualize enormous worms devouring enemies (or negative situations), looking at the letters of the first Name:

• (אב׳׳ג ית׳׳ץ) - (worm) - 506

and at the letters of the last Name:

• (שק׳׳ו צי׳׳ת) - (worms) - 906,

and then at the second Name of the prayer Ana BeKoach (קר׳׳ע שט׳׳ן) - Kra Satan, completing the victory over all negativity. This is also referenced by the pasuk from Yeshayahu (41:14): אַל־תִּֽירְאִי֙ תּוֹלַ֣עַת יַעֲקֹ֔ב מְתֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֤י עֲזַרְתִּיךְ֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְגֹאֲלֵ֖ךְ קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ "Al tir'i tola'at Ya'akov metei Yisrael, ani azarticha ne'um-Ado-nai ve-go'alech Kedosh Yisrael" - (Fear not, worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the L-rd, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel). [It is good to repeat it 7 times in difficult situations.] Ha-Shem Himself goes out "berosh ha-ma'aracha" (at the head of all His hosts) and wages war on behalf of His children and guards His children so that nothing bad happens to them. Based on everything stated above, Gaon Rav Ben Tzion Mutzafi teaches that today, when sirens sound throughout Israel as harbingers of trouble, it is good to recite the prayer "Ana BeKoach", in which such secrets of salvation are encoded with these kavanot.   (Based on a lesson by Gaon Ben Tzion Mutzafi)