Before doing any good deed, whether in speech or in deed, it is important to recite the verse: וִיהִי נֹעַם ה’ אֱלֹקֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ – May the pleasantness of the Lord, our God, be upon us; our handiwork, establish for us; our handiwork, establish it (Tehillim 90:17). For we do not know the proper intentions that should be borne in mind in any of our actions, for every single utterance and every single deed contains supernal secrets, and even the wisest of people who do know esoteric matters do not know even millionth of what there is to know of the mysteries of wisdom, so certainly we know nothing but the most simple meaning of matters. Our only consolation is that our Sages revealed to us that the effect of God’s commandments operate wondrously, and that they make an impression Above even if they are performed without the specific intent that is meant to match each type of mitzvah, [as long as] one thinks the general intent that “I am performing this mitzvah in order to fulfill my God’s command and to thereby bring satisfaction to Him; to correct matters at their root in accord with the understanding of all the holy ones and the understanding of the Holy One, blessed is He.”
And though even without reciting “May the pleasantness” etc. every mitzvah inherently has an effect Above, nevertheless there is a difference between a person who recites the passage first and one who does not recite it first. One cannot compare a person who acts with intent to one who acts without any intent at all – for the one who bears intent in mind accomplishes more and arouses the more sublime aspects [of the mitzvah]. This can be compared to a long rope that on one end is on Earth in the hand of a person and the other end reaches the Heavens, by tugging one end, the other end sways up Above. But the more firmly one holds the rope and shakes the rope more vigorously, the more of an impression it makes Above. Here, too, the more one thinks of proper intentions, the more it causes an arousal of love from Above.
This, then, is the significance of our reciting the Psalm of “May the pleasantness”: In it we are requesting of Hashem that He establish our handiwork in Heaven Above as if we had in mind all the proper thoughts that should have been kept in mind for each mitzvah.
It is even proper before doing a mundane matter to declare that you are doing it for the sake of Heaven, and “may the pleasantness” etc. This brings great benefit, for in truth there is nothing in this world that does not have root Above, and all that the Holy One created in His world He created only for His glory. And so, everything makes an impression in Heaven, as long as one directs his heart towards Heaven.
Our Sages also instituted the recital of “May the pleasantness” at Ma’ariv following every Shabbos. The esoteric significance of this is explained in the Holy Zohar that it is to arouse mercy in the judgment of Gehinnom that it not affect us. Therefore, when reciting the words, Our handiwork, establish it we should bear in mind that no mishap emerge from our hands nor anything that is not complete, so that we not be found guilty in the judgment of Gehinnom. This is what we should pour out our hearts over at the beginning of the week: May we enter it in peace and exit it in peace and not anger our Creator with it.
