With this preparedness to surrender his soul to G-d, i.e., through engaging in Torah and prayer in the same spirit in which a man surrenders his soul to G-d before his demise,
וְהִנֵּה, בַּהֲכָנָה זוֹ שֶׁל מְסִירַת נַפְשׁוֹ לַה',
one should begin to recite the morning benedictions: “Blessed are You…” and so on, these benedictions being the beginning of one’s prayers.
יַתְחִיל בִּרְכוֹת הַשַּׁחַר, "בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה כוּ'",
Similarly, with this preparedness, one should also begin a regular course of study immediately after prayer.
וְכֵן בַּהֲכָנָה זוֹ יַתְחִיל לִלְמוֹד שִׁיעוּר קָבוּעַ מִיָּד אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה,
So also, in the course of the day, before one begins to study, such preparation at least is necessary,
וְכֵן בְּאֶמְצַע הַיּוֹם, קוֹדֶם שֶׁיַּתְחִיל לִלְמוֹד, צְרִיכָה הֲכָנָה זוֹ לְפָחוֹת,
as is known, that in the case of beinonim, the essential preparation and intent “for its own sake,” where it is indispensable, is before the beginning of study.
כַּנּוֹדָע, שֶׁעִיקַּר הַהֲכָנָה לִשְׁמָהּ לְעַכֵּב – הוּא בִּתְחִלַּת הַלִּימּוּד בַּבֵּינוֹנִים,
This is the same as in the case of [writing] a bill of divorce or a scroll of the Torah, where “for their own sake” is an indispensable requirement, and should this intention be lacking, they are invalid,
וּכְמוֹ בְּגֵט וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לִשְׁמָהּ לְעַכֵּב,
and it is sufficient if at the commencement of writing a Torah scroll, [the scribe] says: “I am now about to write for the sacred purpose of the scroll of the Torah” or in the case of a bill of divorce, “For him and for her,” and so on.
וְדַיּוֹ שֶׁיֹּאמַר בִּתְחִלַּת הַכְּתִיבָה: "הֲרֵינִי כּוֹתֵב לְשֵׁם קְדוּשַּׁת סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה", אוֹ "לִשְׁמוֹ וְלִשְׁמָהּ" כוּ'.
And when he studies for a number of consecutive hours, he should reflect on the preparedness referred to above, at least at hourly intervals.
וּכְשֶׁלּוֹמֵד שָׁעוֹת הַרְבֵּה רְצוּפוֹת, יֵשׁ לוֹ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בַּהֲכָנָה זוֹ הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל, בְּכָל שָׁעָה וְשָׁעָה עַל כָּל פָּנִים,
For in each hour, there is a different flow from the higher worlds to animate those who dwell here below, while the flow of vitality from on high of the previous hour returns to its source,
כִּי, בְּכָל שָׁעָה וְשָׁעָה הִיא הַמְשָׁכָה אַחֶרֶת מֵעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים לְהַחֲיוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְהַמְשָׁכַת הַחַיּוּת שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ – חוֹזֶרֶת לִמְקוֹרָהּ
(in accordance with the esoteric principle of “Advancing and Retreating” expounded in Sefer Yetzirah),
[בְּסוֹד "רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב" שֶׁבְּסֵפֶר יְצִירָה]
together with all the Torah and good deeds of those who dwell here below.
עִם כָּל הַתּוֹרָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁל הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים,
For in each of the twelve hours of the day, there rules one of the twelve combinations of [the letters that form] the Four-Letter Name of G-d,19 while the combinations of [the letters that comprise] the Divine Name A-D-N-Y rule at night, as is known.
כִּי בְּכָל שָׁעָה שׁוֹלֵט צֵירוּף אֶחָד מִי"ב צֵירוּפֵי שֵׁם הֲוָיָ"ה בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בְּי"ב שְׁעוֹת הַיּוֹם, וְצֵירוּפֵי שֵׁם אַדְנַ"י בַּלַּיְלָה, כַּנּוֹדָע.
Now, all one’s intent in the surrender of his soul to G-d through Torah and prayer to elevate the spark of G-dliness therein—in the soul—back to its source,
וְהִנֵּה, כָּל כַּוָּונָתוֹ בִּמְסִירַת נַפְשׁוֹ לַה' עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַתְּפִלָּה, לְהַעֲלוֹת נִיצוֹץ אֱלֹהוּת שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ לִמְקוֹרוֹ,
should be solely for the purpose of causing Him gratification, like the joy of a king when his only son returns to him after having been released from captivity or imprisonment, as has been explained earlier.
תְּהֵא רַק כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כִּמְשַׁל שִׂמְחַת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבוֹא אֵלָיו בְּנוֹ יְחִידוֹ, בְּצֵאתוֹ מִן הַשִּׁבְיָה וּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
Now, this intent, solely to bring gratification to G-d by returning one’s own soul to G-d, is genuine and truly and completely sincere in every Jewish soul at all times and at every hour,
וְהִנֵּה, כַּוָּונָה זוֹ הִיא אֲמִיתִּית בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ לְגַמְרֵי, בְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה,
by virtue of the natural love which is a heritage bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
מֵאַהֲבָה הַטִּבְעִית שֶׁהִיא יְרוּשָּׁה לָנוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ.
Nevertheless, one should not be satisfied merely with this level of service: one needs to establish set periods for reflecting on the greatness of G-d in order to attain intellectually generated fear and love,
רַק שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִקְבּוֹעַ עִתִּים לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בִּגְדוּלַּת ה', לְהַשִּׂיג דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ שִׂכְלִיִּים,
and with all that, perhaps [one may succeed] in attaining such fear and love, as has been stated previously.
וְכוּלֵּי הַאי וְאוּלַי וְכוּ', כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל:
Footnotes
19.
The Tetragrammaton is composed of the four letters: yud and hey, vav and another hey. Since two of the letters are similar, we are left with three different letters, which can form a total of twelve combinations—or so it would seem. The Rebbe notes, however, that first of all, the Name A-D-N-Y consists of four different letters, providing for a total of twenty-four permutations (while only twelve of them predominate during the twelve hours of the night). Secondly, the two letters hey in the Tetragrammaton have significantly different spiritual connotations. Thus, this Divine Name, too, is able to form twenty-four different (spiritual) permutations. The Rebbe therefore explains that the Alter Rebbe is saying here that twelve of the twenty-four possible combinations of the Tetragrammaton rule during the twelve hours of the day (while the other twelve have no connection at all to time). The same principle applies to the twelve stitches in the tefillin of the hand, which, according to the Mishnat Chassidim,correspond to twelve combinations of A-D-N-Y. There, too, twelve of the possible twenty-four combinations are related to these stitches, while the other twelve are not related to the tefillin at all. At any rate, twelve of the permutations of the Tetragrammaton rule during the twelve hours of the day, and twelve combinations of the Name A-D-N-Y rule during the twelve hours of the night.