📄 Scaling the Walls of the Labyrinth: Psalms 67 and Ana b’Khoaḥ

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=4957

Date: 2012-05-14

Last Updated: 2023-10-16

Categories: Pesaḥ, Sefirat ha-Omer, Shavuot, Tehilim Book 2 (Psalms 42–72), Shabbat, Sukkot, Ḥanukkah, Slavery & Captivity

Tags: 42 letter divine name, a red ribbon, acrostic, anxiety, barley, captives, cyclical, Divine name acrostic, first fruits, labyrinth, Psalms 67, Raḥav, shalmah, walled cities, wheat, אנא בכח Ana b'Khoaḥ

Excerpt: Psalms 67 is a priestly blessing for all the peoples of the earth to be sustained by the earth's harvest (yevulah), and it is a petition that all humanity recognize the divine nature (Elohim) illuminating the world. Composed of seven verses, the psalm is often visually depicted as a seven branched menorah. There are 49 words in the entire psalm, and in the Nusaḥ ha-ARI z"l there is one word for each day of the Sefirat haOmer. Similarly, the fifth verse has 49 letters and each letter can be used as a focal point for meditating on the meaning of the day in its week in the journey to Shavuot, the festival of weeks (the culmination of the barley harvest), and the festival of oaths (shevuot) in celebration of receiving the Torah. Many of the themes of Psalms 67 are repeated in the prayer Ana b'Koaḥ, which also has 49 words, and which are also used to focus on the meaning of each day on the cyclical and labyrinthine journey towards Shavuot. . . .

Content:

Yeriḥo as a seven walled Cretan labyrinth. (Farḥi Bible by Elisha ben Avraham Crescas, 14th cen.) The seven walls of Yericho are alluded to in the seven verses of Psalms 67.

Beginning with part of the priestly blessing,^[1] Cf. Number 6:23-27   the Levite song, Psalms 67, is a prayer for all the peoples of the earth to be sustained by the earth’s harvest (yevulah). It is also a petition that all humanity recognize the divine nature (Elohim) illuminating the world. Composed of seven verses, the psalm is often visually depicted as a seven branched menorah. There are 49 words in the entire psalm, and in the Nusaḥ ha-ARI z”l there is one word for each day of the Sefirat haOmer. Similarly, the fifth verse has 49 letters and each letter can be used as a focal point for meditating on the meaning of the day in its week in the journey to Shavuot, the festival of weeks (the culmination of the barley harvest), and the festival of oaths (shevuot) in celebration of receiving the Torah. Many of the themes of Psalm 67 are repeated in the prayer Ana b’Khoaḥ, contains seven lines and 42 words, with each initial letter forming a 42-letter name of G‽d. Counting each word together with the seven acronyms formed from the first letter of each line yields 49 words. Each of these are also used to focus on the meaning of each day on the cyclical and labyrinthine journey towards Shavuot. I am finding these prayers helpful to guide my steps and intention in traveling through the Sefirat haOmer as a Labyrinth.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
א לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃	1 For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm, a Song.
ב אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃	2 Elohim be gracious unto us, and bless us; May Elohim cause their face to shine toward us;[2] cf. the Priestly Blessing: Numbers 6:23–27   Selah
ג לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ בְּכָל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃	3 That your way may be known upon earth, Your salvation among all peoples.
ד יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃	4 Let the peoples give thanks unto you, Elohim; Let the peoples give thanks unto you, all of them.
ה יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃	5 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For you will judge the peoples with equity, And guide the people upon earth. Selah
ו יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃	6 Let the peoples give thanks unto you, Elohim; Let the peoples give thanks unto you, all of them.
ז אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃	7 The earth has granted her harvest; May Elohim, our Elohim, bless us.
ח יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְיִֽירְא֥וּ אֹ֝ת֗וֹ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃	8 May Elohim bless us; And let all the ends of the earth be in awe of them.

Rabbi Seidenberg teaches,

Ana b’Khoaḥ is one of the masterpieces of mystical prayer. You’ll notice something unusual about Ana b’Khoaḥ: the word “God” does not appear, nor do any traditional names for God like Adonai-YHVH or eloheinu. Like the Kaddish, Ana b’Khoaḥ addresses the divine at a level that is beyond the names for God that we normally use. This special language makes it a very powerful prayer, whether it’s said in (well-translated) English or Hebrew.

How to use Ana b’Khoaḥ

Ana b’Khoaḥ is traditionally recited right before L’kha Dodi on Friday night, which makes it easy to fit into the Kabbalat Shabbat service even if it doesn’t appear in your prayerbook. (It’s also recited after counting the omer and even as part of lighting the Menorah.) One way to introduce the prayer to a community that hasn’t seen it before is for the shaliaḥ tsibur (prayer leader) to chant each line in Hebrew, and then have the community respond by chanting or reading the corresponding line in English.

While Ana b’Khoaḥ is sung aloud in many communities, it’s also traditional to recite Ana b’Khoaḥ in a whisper, reflecting the mystical idea that the initial letters of Ana b’Khoaḥ spell out the secret 42-letter name (or names) of G!D. Because of this belief, the line “Barukh Shem K’vod…” (Blessed be the name…) is added after the last verse of the prayer.

Acrostic	Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אב״ג ית״ץ	אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ גְּדֻלַּת יְמִינְךָ תַּתִּיר צְרוּרָה	Please, with the power of Your great right hand free the bound.
קר״ע שט״ן	קַבֵּל רִנַּת עַמְּךָ שַׂגְּבֵנוּ טַהֲרֵנוּ נוֹרָא	Accept the song of Your people, empower us, make us pure, Awesome One!
נג״ד יכ״ש	נָא גִבּוֹר, דּוֹרְשֵׁי יִחוּדְךָ, כְּבָבַת שָׁמְרֵם	Please, Mighty One, the seekers of Your unity, watch them like the pupil of an eye.
בט״ר צת״ג	בָּרְכֵם טַהֲרֵם, רַחֲמֵי צִדְקָתְךָ, תָּמִיד גָּמְלֵם	Bless them, make them pure, have mercy on them; Your justness bestow upon them always.
חק״ב טנ״ע	חָסִין קָדוֹשׁ, בְּרֹב טוּבְךָ, נַהֵל עֲדָתֶךָ	Tremendous Holy One, in Your abundant goodness guide Your community.
יג״ל פז״ק	יָחִיד גֵּאֶה, לְעַמְּךָ פְּנֵה, זוֹכְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ	Unique One, Exalted One, face Your people who remember Your holiness.
שק״ו צי״ת	שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ קַבֵּל, וּשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתֵנוּ, יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת	Accept our prayer, hear our cry, Knower of secrets.
	בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:‏	Blessed is the Name of the resplendent Kingdom in the Cosmos forever.

With perseverance and help, any obstacle can be overcome. In the story of the Israelite conquest of Yeriḥo in Sefer Yehoshua, it is the heroine Raḥab who helps Yehoshua’s scouts. Living her life trapped as a sex worker inside Yeriḥo’s labyrinthine walls, she hides Yehoshua’s scouts on her rooftop. The Rebbe Maharash of ḤaBaD would say, “When you cannot go under go over!” If you are lost in a labyrinth, scale its walls.

Rav Avidmi in Talmud Bavli Shabbat 88a provides a midrash to Exodus 19:17 (referred to by Rashi) that to receive the Torah, bnei Yisrael went beneath Har Sinai, submitting to the labyrinth of a new redemptive halakhah. As I travel towards receiving gnosis in the theophany of revelation, I recommit myself to the covenants between G!D and bnei Noaḥ (justice for all humanity without acting as a predator) and between G!D and bnei Yisrael (opposing and redeeming predatory nature in all of my actions). I traverse the walls of my internal seven walled labyrinth, channeling the voice of Shalma ben Naḥson (ben Amindav):

Scaling walls with Raḥab’s
scarlet twine, we escape
and liberate worlds

The words of Psalms 67 and Ana B’khoaḥ are the footholds directing my intention. Saving me are my friends — all the earth’s peoples, who like Raḥab, seek liberation.

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The translation of Psalm 67 is adapted from the JPS 1917 translation. The translation of Ana b’Khoaḥ is based on a translation by Rabbi David Seidenberg. I am not aware of any other teaching relating the sefirat haomer to the labyrinth. Do you know of any other teachings relating the labyrinth to the journey of the Israelites towards Har Sinai, or Moshe into Har Sinai? Please share your thoughts and knowledge in the comments.

Notes[+]

Notes

1	Cf. Number 6:23-27
2	cf. the Priestly Blessing: Numbers 6:23–27

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady
  Bio: Aharon Varady is the founding director of the Open Siddur Project. A community planner (M.C.P, DAAP/University of Cincinnati.) and Jewish educator (M.A.J.Ed., the William Davidson School of Education), his work in open-source Judaism has been written about in the Yiddish Forverts, the Atlantic Magazine, Tablet, and Haaretz. If you find any egregious mistakes in his work, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also transcribes and translates prayers, besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-nissen-varady
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  Name: Unknown Author(s)
  Bio: Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.
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Featured Image:

Title: Map of Jericho in 14c Farhi Bible by Elisha ben Avraham Crescas
Caption: Yeriḥo as a seven walled Cretan labyrinth. (Farḥi Bible by Elisha ben Avraham Crescas, 14th c.)