Shemah: Divrei Binah: God’s Name in Our Hand

“Bind them as a sign upon your arm.” The most effective way to repair destructive thoughts is for a person to strive to be attached to God in everything he does; that nothing should be done without the sense of being a servant of God.

This is similar to the idea included in the prayer of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk: “Please enable us genuinely to see the good qualities in every human being, and not their failings; allow us to speak to each other in an honest and befitting manner before You, and please ensure that there is no hatred between us. Strengthen the feeling of closeness that You know we have for You, in order that we should give You pleasure, for that is our sincere and pure goal. And if we don’t have the clarity necessary to direct our hearts towards You, please teach us to truly understand the goodness of Your intent.

“All our thoughts and emotions should be directed only to You.

“For all this, we plead before You, God, so full of mercy, that You will mercifully and willingly accept our prayer.”

We are similarly taught about the Chozeh of Lublin, that he did not even blink his eyes without focusing on unifying God’s Name.

This then, is the meaning of, “bind them as a sign upon your arm,” meaning, that the letters, the signs, should always be in our hands. Just as with the letters we can combine all the different Names and Unifications, so shall be on our hands, filled, and always prepared to focus every action, word, and thought to unify His Holy Name. (Divrei Binah, Vayikra)