Some are particular to say ‘LeShem Yichud’ (for the sake of the unification) and also ‘Hineni Muchan U’Mezuman’ (behold, I am prepared and ready) before reciting chapters of Tehillim. And although some have challenged this custom, the custom has already become widespread, and therefore one may continue to say it.
Sources and Explanations
Well known is the dispute of the author of the Noda BiYehudah (Mahadura Kamma, Yoreh De’ah, siman 93) regarding the recitation of ‘LeShem Yichud,’ who poured out his wrath upon those who say it. He writes: “As to what he asked regarding the text of LeShem Yichud, which has recently spread and been printed in siddurim. Hereby I respond: rather than asking me about the wording of its recitation, it would be more proper to ask whether we should say that it is good to recite it at all. In my opinion, this is a sore evil in our generation. As for the generations before our time, who did not know of this text and did not say it, and toiled all their days in Torah and mitzvot, all according to the Torah and according to the poskim, whose words flow from the source of living waters, the sea of the Talmud — of them it is said, ‘The integrity of the upright shall guide them,’ and they are the ones who produced fruit above, and their kindness is great above the heavens. But in this generation of ours, for they have forsaken the Torah of Hashem and the source of living waters, the two Talmuds, the Bavli and the Yerushalmi, to hew for themselves broken cisterns, and they exalt themselves in the haughtiness of their hearts, each one saying, ‘I am the seer, and to me the gates of heaven have been opened, and for my sake the world exists’ — these are the destroyers of the generation. And regarding this orphaned generation I say: ‘The ways of Hashem are straight; the righteous walk in them,’ and the pious stumble in them. I would have had much to say about this, but just as it is a mitzvah to say something that will be heeded, so too it is a mitzvah not to say something that will not be heeded, and may Hashem have mercy upon us.”
However, many have already written that one should say this text, as cited in the name of the Arizal (Torat HaAri HaChai, Sha’ar Ruach HaKodesh): “The intention of charity and prayer is to unite the Name Y-H, which is separated from V-H. Before a person performs any mitzvah or charity, he should say, ‘Leyachada shema deKudsha Berich Hu uShechinteih bidchilu urechimu udchilu’ (to unite the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, in fear and love, and fear) in the name of all Israel. And he should intend to join the Name Y-H, which are fear and love, with V-H, which are the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah.”
So too it is cited in Pri Etz Chaim (Sha’ar HaZemirot, end of chapter 5): “Therefore, before one performs a mitzvah or charity, he must say, ‘Leyachada shema deKudsha Berich Hu uShechinteih bidchilu urechimu’ (to unite the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, in fear and love), to join Y-H with V-H, in the name of all Israel.”
And the Shelah explained (Ner Mitzvah, Shavuot, ot 66–68): “How good it is that when one opens the book he should say: ‘I wish to learn so that the study will bring me to action, to upright character traits, and to knowledge of the Torah, and I am doing so for the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah’; and this is called Torah lishmah (Torah for its own sake).”
And many of the poskim of the generations, by the light of whose rulings we go, ruled like them. However, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l (Halichot Olam, vol. 3, p. 34) wrote that there is no need according to the letter of the law to say LeShem Yichud, as it is a great superfluity, and the berachah itself constitutes the intention, and ‘sit and do not act’ is preferable; but he too concluded that the Sephardim have already been accustomed to say LeShem Yichud. And regarding the recitation of Tehillim, in which there is no berachah, it is possible that there is more basis for saying it.
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 3: Laws Before and After Saying Tehillim, Halacha 6 (p. 37 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
