Bay Ana Rahitz
By Rachelle Heller, 2000
I can’t say when it was that the refrain beginning “Bay Ana Rahitz” captured my imagination and even my soul because this prayer fragment has been part of me forever. I can say what it was about Bay Ana Rahitz that captured my soul. It’s because of the tune - a sort of haunting and powerful tune. Only when I was much older did I even come to realize hat this refrain is part of a larger prayer.
The prayer begins right after the Torah is taken from the ark: B’rech Sh’may d’mara alma. Blessed be the name of the Master of the Universe, blessed is the name of the people Israel forever. Four translations of the prayer reveal an essence of the meaning of the prayer --- praise of G-d, a prayer that G-d remain with Israel and a prayer that the supplicant be included in the good things that G-d has to offer. The prayer reminds us that our trust is not in mortals or even angels but in G-d alone and we pray to be open to torah and that we have our personal wishes fulfilled. One version translated in part – Let me be counted among the righteous so that Thou may have compassion upon me and shelter me and mine and all that belong to the house of Israel.
This prayer, in Aramaic, is from the Zohar, parashat Vayakhel. Since the middle of the 16th century, it has been customary to all this personal meditation at this point in the service. The Zohar suggest that when the congregation prepares to read from the Torah, the heavenly gates are opened and God’s love for Israel is aroused. Therefore it is an excellent time to praise G-d and ask for his compassion and salvation. In fact, the words in the Zohar that come right before this prayer are, , When the scroll is taken out in the congregation to read therein the gates of the Heavens of Mercy open and the Celestial love awakens.
A word about the Zohar – it was believed to be the compilation of books, fragments, commentaries of Simeon Ben Yochai around the 2nd century. It came to light on the 1290s in Spain and is the center of mystical tradition. The Zohar places humanity as a connecting link between G-d and the universe – by our conduct we can become a collaborator with G-d. The Zohar speaks of the nearness of G-D – words which come from the heart enter the heart. Each new prayer is a strengthening of the world’s spiritual forces. The Torah, the Zohar says, has deep mystical meaning which can be revealed to those who love it.
I found one quote which may actually report why this passage has always been a part of me. – in relating the impact of passages from the Zohar it said – In a motherly spirit, wiping away the tears of her beaten child, the Zohar conjures up an aura of cosmic glory to balance the deepening tragedy of Spanish Jewry. As the unhappy lot of the medieval Jewry reached the successive depths of the 14th and 15th century, the Zohar grew in popularity displacing the cold words of the rationalists.
Why then is this prayer – a perfect time to unite humanity with God – said in Aramaic? Aramaic is an ancient northwestern Semitic language. It is not a language widely spoken, even in the middle east today, but it has a deep impact on our liturgy and life cycle. The Kol Nidre is in Aramaic, the term “bar mitzvah” Aramaic, the ketuba and the get are in Aramaic, the Kaddish these are all in Aramaic. When it was introduced - in Spain – was Aramaic commonly spoken? Certainly.
Even though we are not fluent in Aramaic, the words can speak to us and provide us an entry to the world of prayer.