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Source: http://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2010/08/jewish-oath-in-1737-part-ii-noda.html

Near the end of the post, the author mentions a teshuvah of the Nodah BiYhudah's against the saying of a leshem yichud (a short prefatory piece highlighting the unity of G-d).

What was the context of this question and what was his rationale? (I'd read myself, but it's nearly illegible in the scan)

Noach MiFrankfurt
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  • I read what is posted, however it doesn't really answer the question, a more in-depth exploration would be preferred – Noach MiFrankfurt Feb 19 '15 at 03:28
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    See page 1 of this source sheet, where you'll find the t'shuva printed legibly. – Fred Feb 19 '15 at 03:34
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    "highlighting the unity of G-d" It speaks of unifying God. Sounds more like it highlights His current disunity. – Double AA Feb 19 '15 at 03:39
  • @DoubleAA, What would I know of lishmei yichud? http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/37284/leaving-the-room-during-a-kabbalistic-dvar-torah – Noach MiFrankfurt Feb 19 '15 at 03:41
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    @DoubleAA Presumably, advocates of this practice would say that mitzvos unite the manifestation of HaShem's name in this world, along the lines of Z'charya 14:9 and along the lines of the Tanchuma (Ki Seitzei 11): רבי לוי בשם רבי אחא ברבי חיננא אומר, כל זמן שזרעו של עמלק בעולם, לא השם שלם, ולא הכסא שלם. אבד זרעו של עמלק, השם שלם והכסא שלם. Neither of those sources implies that HaShem Himself is divided. – Fred Feb 19 '15 at 03:55
  • @Fred Yes, but MiMaNafshach it isn't talking about the unity of God. – Double AA Feb 19 '15 at 15:12

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The context of the question was what is the correct way to say l'shem yichud, and the response was that maybe it isn't such a good idea to say it at all.

Regarding the rationale, someone who knows these things better than I explained it in terms that I think are understandable:

If you have your Microsoft operating system with its factory settings, your computer will work just fine. If you start playing around with the settings, you could customize your computer, or, if you don't know what you are doing, you could mess everything up.

When we daven or do mitzvos "regularly_, there is a built in status-quo put into the berachos by the anshei knesses hagedola. When you decide to direct it on your own, if you don't really understand what you are doing, you will make things much worse.

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