Some of us have the practice that before doing a mitzvah—whether it’s putting on tefillin, lighting candles, or studying Torah—we pause and say a short tefillah: LeShem Yichud Kudsha Brich Hu u’Shechintei. A quiet moment to dedicate what we’re about to do to Hashem, to unite the spiritual worlds.

And even if we don’t say the whole LeShem Yichud, many of us still whisper a familiar line: Vihi Noam Hashem Elokeinu aleinu, u’ma’aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu, u’ma’aseh yadeinu konenehu.

We say it before the mitzvah. But if you look at the pasuk, it’s actually a prayer for what comes after—after the work is done, after the effort is complete.

So why begin with it?

Let’s explore that—because I think it reveals something profound about how we bring Hashem into our lives. Not just when we finish a project or succeed in something meaningful—but from the very first moment we take action.

And to understand that, we have to look at the very first time this pasuk was ever spoken—by none other than Moshe Rabbeinu.

This week’s parsha—Parshat Shemini—