In the Sefer Minhagei Zidichoiv it’s brought that the rebbes HaBaal Ateres Tzvi zy’a and R’ Yitzchok Aizik zy’a had a practice to the phrase, “לשם יחוד קודשא בריך הוא ושיכנתיה” (in translation: “For the sake of the Unification of the Holy One Blessed is He and His Shechinah”) every time they would eat, or engage in any activity. This is a huge thing that has a great impact on everything. Everything we do in life, according to the Shulchon Oruch, must be done L’Shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. The utterance of this phrase on a basic psychological level causes you to focus on this goal of doing things L’Shem Shomayim. On the next level from there, it is brought in the name of the Ari z’l that when a person eats a food, a particular Yichud is made between the Shem Havayah and Shem Adnus. The food is in the aspect of Adnus, being physical and that shem is associated with Malchus and the Shechinah Tat’oh (Lower Shechinah), while the person eating it is associated with the Shem Havayah, due to the fact we are created B’Tzelem Elokim (in the image of God). Food is only one example of where this is helpful. The ikar is that we have to focus on elevating all the Nitzotzos HaKedoshim (holy sparks) from this world to their source in Hashem in His aspect of Ain Sof. The truth is that there is absolutely nothing other than Hashem, as we know from the posuk that states as much, and through the Mesoras HaChassidus. So when you state the kavonno that you intend to unify Hashem and His Shechinah, you effectively break the Klippah that is the illusion of separation between Shem Adnus and Havayah, between the Sefirah of Malchus and Zair Anpin, between the Shechinah Tat’oh in the aspect of the Feminine and Shem Havayah in the Masculine. The Zohar brings that when this Yichud is made, then all Hashpo’os Tovos (good influences) are brought to the world, along with Sholom, and all forms of Brocho. Therefore, through saying this phrase before doing any action, especially one that brings simcha and pleasure to the body and the nefesh, the action (so long as it is permissible according to halocho) becomes elevated as a holy service to Hashem and we fulfill the mitzvah to be holy for Hashem is holy.
Hashem should help us all in this endeavor, and in the z’chus of saying this formula every chance we remember, we should elevate all the Nitzotzos HaKedoshim and behold the coming of Moshiach swiftly in our days.
Yismach Lev 