[Avodah] L’shem Yichud

Prof. Levine llevine at stevens.edu
Wed May 16 05:51:42 PDT 2012


 From http://torahmusings.com/2012/05/lshem-yichud/

It is interesting to note that historically, the 
inclusion of l’shem yichud in the liturgy had 
been met with some fierce opposition. Rabbi 
Yechezkel Landau waged a fierce battle to ban the 
recitation of l’shem yichud and to have it 
removed from all texts. He also took great 
personal issue with those who had the practice of 
reciting it. As Rabbi Landau writes:[6] “In my 
opinion this is an evil sickness in our 
generation.
 [Those who recite it] are the 
destroyers of the generation.” Indeed, it is 
recorded that Rabbi Landau would forbid anyone 
who had the custom of reciting l’shem yichud from 
reciting a blessing over his personal lulav and etrog set on Sukkot.[7]

This fierce opposition to what seems to be a 
completely innocuous and even praiseworthy 
practice is difficult to digest. It is suggested 
that Rabbi Landau may have believed that the 
l’shem yichud formula, with its strong mystical 
connotations, was actually a creation of the 
Shabtai Tzvi movement that led many Jews astray. 
Some claim that Rabbi Landau retracted his 
objection to the l’shem yichud later in life. [8]


[6] Noda B’Yehuda, YD 93.

[7] Minhag Yisrael Torah, OC 8:1.

[8] Minhag Yisrael Torah, OC 8:1.


See the above URL for more.  YL

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