What is the Ana BeKoach prayer?

The Ana BeKoach (אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ) is one of the most mystically significant prayers in Jewish liturgy, a seven-line poem that serves as a kabbalistic meditation on the 42-letter Name of God. It is recited in multiple prayer contexts — including Kabbalat Shabbat, Shacharit, and the Sefirat HaOmer — and is attributed by tradition to the Tanna Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKanah. Each line of the prayer contains six words, and the first letter of each word spells out one of the hidden divine names.

Key Takeaways

• Ana BeKoach is a 7-line prayer whose 42 initial letters encode the mystical Shem Mem-Bet (42-letter Name of God).
• It is traditionally attributed to Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKanah, a first-century Talmudic sage known for his kabbalistic teachings.
• The prayer appears in multiple liturgical contexts: Shacharit (morning), Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday evening), and Sefirat HaOmer (the Omer count).
• Because it contains a hidden divine Name, it is traditionally recited quietly or with special concentration (kavanah).
• A doxology — "Baruch Shem kevod malkhuto le'olam va'ed" — is appended at the end, as is customary after reciting a divine Name.

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The Text of the Prayer

The full text, as found in the Ashkenaz and Sefard siddurim, reads:

אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ גְּדֻלַּת יְמִינְךָ תַּתִּיר צְרוּרָה קַבֵּל רִנַּת עַמְּךָ שַׂגְּבֵנוּ טַהֲרֵנוּ נוֹרָא נָא גִבּוֹר דּוֹרְשֵׁי יִחוּדְךָ כְּבָבַת שָׁמְרֵם בָּרְכֵם טַהֲרֵם רַחֲמֵם צִדְקָתְךָ תָּמִיד גָּמְלֵם חֲסִין קָדוֹשׁ בְּרֹב טוּבְךָ נַהֵל עֲדָתֶךָ יָחִיד גֵּאֶה לְעַמְּךָ פְּנֵה זוֹכְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ קַבֵּל וּשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתֵנוּ יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת

Translation: "We beg You — with the strength of Your right hand's greatness, untie the bundled sins. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, O Awesome One. Please, O Mighty One, those who seek Your oneness — guard them like the apple of the eye. Bless them, purify them, have compassion on them; may Your righteousness always reward them. Powerful and Holy One, in Your abundant goodness, guide Your congregation. Exalted and Unique One, turn to Your people, who remember Your holiness. Accept our cry and hear our screaming, O Knower of hidden things."

Followed by the doxology:

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד "Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever."

[Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat; Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit]

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The 42-Letter Name of God

The central kabbalistic feature of Ana BeKoach is that the first letter of each of the 42 words spells out the Shem Mem-Bet (שם מ"ב), the hidden 42-letter Name of God. The seven groups of six letters are:

| Line | First Letters | |------|--------------| | 1 | א-ב-ג-י-ת-צ | | 2 | ק-ר-ע-ש-ט-ן | | 3 | נ-ג-ד-י-כ-ש | | 4 | ב-ט-ר-צ-ת-ג | | 5 | ח-ק-ב-ט-נ-ע | | 6 | י-ג-ל-פ-ז-ק | | 7 | ש-ק-ו-צ-י-ת |

The Talmud alludes to this Name in [Kiddushin 71a], which states that the 42-letter Name is transmitted only to those who are modest, patient, and of refined character. Rashi there explains it is a deeply guarded esoteric tradition.

The Sefer HaBahir and later the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria) gave this prayer its central role in Kabbalat Shabbat and Omer liturgy, linking its seven lines to the seven Sefirot (divine emanations) from Chesed through Malkhut.

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Where and When It Is Recited

Based on the retrieved sources, Ana BeKoach appears in several liturgical contexts:

• Shacharit (Morning Prayer): Recited in the Korbanot section, the order of Temple service [Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers].
• Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday Night): Sung as part of welcoming the Shabbat [Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat; Siddur Sefard, Kabbalat Shabbat].
• Sefirat HaOmer (Omer Count): Recited at Maariv during the 49-day Omer period [Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Maariv, Sefirat HaOmer].
• Bedtime Shema: Found in some traditions' nighttime prayers [Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Bedtime Shema].

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Why It Is Recited Quietly

Because the acrostic spells out a divine Name, many authorities hold it should be recited in an undertone (lachash), similar to the rule for Baruch Shem on Yom Kippur. The Arizal emphasized extreme kavanah (intentional focus) when reciting it, meditating on the hidden Name within each line.

The closing Baruch Shem line serves the halachic function of "sealing" the utterance of the divine Name, in keeping with the principle that such Names require reverent closure.

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Broader Themes

The prayer's content reflects deep themes of:

• Divine power and mercy — calling on God's "right hand" (yemincha), a symbol of strength and kindness
• Purification — the words taharaynu (purify us) and bar'chem taharaynu (bless them, purify them) recur
• Unity (yichud) — "those who seek Your oneness" connects to the Shema's declaration of divine unity
• Hidden knowledge — the final phrase yode'a ta'alumot ("Knower of hidden things") is particularly poignant, as the prayer itself contains hidden letters

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*For personal guidance on the proper practice and ka