Shabbat Shalom

Ana Bekoach is a mystical prayer employing the 42 letters of the name of God to create this mystical prayer. The acrostic is seven lines of six words each.  The prayer is attributed to Nechuniah dating back to second- century Israel.

Siddur Lev Shalem explains a particular phrase Tatir Tz’rurah, Undo the Knot, as perhaps referring to the exile in both its physical and spiritual sense.  As we enter Shabbat, we pray that all that has kept us physically and spiritually constrained give way; instead, we hope to begin experiencing the gentle expansiveness of Shabbat.  This plea reflects the mystical view that the forces of judgment, constriction, and negativity should not have power or authority on Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom