Translation:Likutei Moharan/44

by Nachman of Breslov

Mah Shemakin Kaf El Kaf Bishaat HaTefillah (Concerning Clapping Hands during Prayer):

[In the Beginning]

Our Sages have taught (Bereishit Rabbah 1:2): Why did the Torah start with “In the beginning”? For the nations will say to us, “You are thieves! You occupied the land of the seven nations.” {“His powerful works He told to His nation to give them the heritage of the peoples” (Psalms 111:6).}

Because of this, “His powerful works He told to His nation.” He told them that all the worlds are entirely the work of His hands. And the Holy One gives to the ones He favors. This is, “to give them the heritage of the peoples.” For everything is under His control, and all things are called “His KoaCh (powerful) works” — paralleling the Khaf Chet (twenty-eight) letters of the Act of Creation, paralleling the twenty-eight sections of the hands.

And it is known that the air of the land of the nations is impure, whereas the air of the Land of Israel is holy and pure, because the Holy One took it out of the hands of the nations and gave it to us. But [in] the land of the nations — it being outside the Land — there, the air is impure.

Thus when we clap hands, we thereby rouse the twenty-eight letters of <the Act of> Creation, “His KoaCh works.” We see, then, that it is within His hands to give us the heritage of the peoples. For everything belongs to the Holy One. With this, we have the koach in our hands to purify the air of the land of the nations, because the land of the nations returns to the Holy One’s rule. And it is within His hands to give it to whomever he wants, as is written, “to give them the heritage of the peoples.” Then, the place in which the Jewish person prays is purified, and he breathes in holy air as in the Land of Israel.

[Holy Air]

Clapping also chases away the impure air. This is because by {clapping} hands a sound is heard. This sound is holy air, from the twenty-eight letters of the Act of Creation, the twenty-eight sections of the hands. Just as we see empirically, that clapping chases the air away.

Because of this one must fix a place for his prayer (Orach Chaim 90:19). As we see empirically, when people come <from another country> to a country in which they are not accustomed to the air, they take sick and pass away, even if they have gone from a bad climate to a good one. The same is true of prayer. Even if one stands up to pray in the place where a tzaddik has prayed, it will still be very difficult for him to pray there. For he is not accustomed to the air in that place. All the more so if he goes from a good climate to a bad one.

This is what our Sages taught (Berakhot 6b): Whoever fixes a place [for his prayers], the God of Avraham comes to his aid. For through him the world is built anew. And the building of the world is through Avraham, as is written (Psalms 89:3), “The world is built on lovingkindness.”

And this is what is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar, Tikkun #22 (p.68a): With this koach Israel overpowers Edom. And also: This koach has to be raised to Chokhmah. This corresponds to “Whoever fixes a place for his prayer, the God of Avraham comes to his aid.” This is because Avraham is the right side, [and] “someone who wants to grow wise should face south” (Bava Batra 25b).

Moreover, “the God of Avraham comes to his aid,” because Avraham was to the first to appreciate the Land of Israel. As is brought in the Zohar (I, 78a): He weighed it in a scale, until [the nature of the Holy Land] was revealed to him.

[Land of Israel]

This is the explanation of: Prayers TiKNUM (were established) kneged (to parallel) the TMIDin (regular-offerings) (Berakhot 26b).

TaMID is an aspect of the Land of Israel, as is written (Deuteronomy 11:12), “[A land that God your Lord looks after;] God your Lord TaMID (regularly) keeps His eyes on it.” In other words, a person should try to recite his prayer in the air of the Land of Israel. This is the rectification of extraneous thoughts in prayer, which correspond to the above mentioned “prayers kneged (opposing).” TiKkUNaM (their rectification) is through the tamid, through the aspect of the Land of Israel.

And this is the explanation of “and in the hands of the NeViim (prophets) ADaMeh (I spoke parables)” (Hosea 12:11). Through “the hands,” clapping, the words are spoken on “ADaMah (land) that is holy” (Zechariah 2:16). “NeViim” is similar to < NiV sefataim (an expression of the lips), an aspect of the spoken word of prayer>.

[Light]

{“God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw the light, that it was good, and God separated between the light and the darkness” (Genesis 1:3, 4).}

Also <through clapping hands>, killing and destruction are eliminated from the world. For the hands are an aspect of “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” — right and left. And it is written, “God saw the light… and [God] separated between the light” — this is Aharon — “and the darkness” — this is Korach. This corresponds to “I will grant peace in the land… and no sword will cross your land” (Leviticus 26:6).

[Prayer]

{“Today you are standing, all of you, before God your Lord—your leaders, your tribal heads, [your elders and your law enforcers, all the men of Israel, your children, your women, and the proselytes in your camp; even your woodcutters and water drawers]” (Deuteronomy 29:9).} Today you are standing — “Standing” is nothing other than prayer (Berakhot 6b).

before God your Lord — This corresponds to the Land of Israel, as our Sages taught: Whoever lives in the Land of Israel is <like> one who has a God (Ketuvot 110b). In other words, how will you merit having your prayers be in the air of the Land of Israel?

your leaders, your tribal heads… — [Scripture] lists ten aspects — i.e., the aspect of clapping. As explained, by clapping the prayer is in the air of the Land of Israel.

[Crown of Tiferet]

“Prayers were established to parallel the tmidin (regular-offerings)”— i.e., an aspect of the Land of Israel. In other words, by clapping the idolatrous thoughts are eliminated. This is because: Whoever lives in the Diaspora is like someone who has no God; but whoever lives in the Land of Israel is like someone who has a God. Thus by clapping, he lives in the air of the Land of Israel and has a God, and so the idolatrous thoughts are eliminated.

And prayer is an aspect of faith, as is written (Exodus 17:12), “his hands were faithful until the sun set.” Onkelos renders this as: “[his hands] were spread out in prayer.” But opposing faith are the heresies of the idolatrous thoughts. Their rectification is through tmidin — through the Land of Israel, through clapping.

This is the explanation of “You will be a crown of tiferet (beauty) in the hand of God” (Isaiah 62:3). The explanation is: Through “the hand of God” — through clapping, which rouses the hands of the Holy One, as above — <you rectify> idolatrous thoughts. This is because through idolatry he blemishes tiferet (beauty), as is written (ibid. 44:13), “like the tiferet of man, to sit in a shrine.” [But] by rectifying one’s thoughts, “a crown of tiferet” is made — <the aspect of> tiferet is crowned by “the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Song of Songs 3:11). <A word to the wise is sufficient.>

[Mysteries of the World]

Another explanation: “Prayers <were established> to parallel the regular-offerings.” The explanation is: Through prayer there is a revelation of the Torah’s mysteries, which are called “the mysteries of the world” — KaVShei (mysteries of) the Merciful One, as is written (Proverbs 27:26), “KVaSim (sheep) to provide you with clothing.” {As our Sages taught on this verse: Matters which are the KaVShei (mysteries of) the world…} And the regular-offerings are sheep, as is written (Numbers 28:4), “Prepare one sheep in the morning [and prepare a second sheep in the afternoon].”

Thus through <the> prayers, the Torah’s mysteries are revealed, as is brought concerning the verse (Isaiah 43:2), “When you cross through the water, I am with you.”

[Confusion of the Mind]

Another explanation: “Prayers kneged (opposing)” are <the prayers opposed by extraneous thoughts, which confuse him. They are called maBuL (flood), similar to BiLBuL (confusion) of the mind>.

His rectification is to give charity to the Land of Israel. Through this he is encompassed in <air of> the Land of Israel, of which it is said (Ezekiel 22:24), “a land not washed by rain on the day of indignation.” And as a result he is spared from extraneous thoughts.

This is TMiDin TiKNuM (were established): TiKkuNaM (their rectification) is through the Land of Israel, of which it is said, “A land that [God your Lord looks after;] God your Lord TaMID keeps His eyes on it.” In addition, the air of the Land of Israel makes wise (Bava Batra 158b). And through this his mind— i.e., his thought — is refined.

This is the explanation of “I will see it to recall the eternal covenant” (Genesis 9:16). “I will see it” — through the aspect of the Land of Israel. This results in an awakening and rectification of “the eternal covenant” — the aspects of prayer, the ChaY (eighteen) benedictions of prayer, the tzaddik is the ChaY (life) of the worlds. <A word to the wise is sufficient.>

{This entire lesson is connected, which is also how we heard most of these pieces, as a single teaching. But in his manuscript, the Rebbe separated them somewhat. He did it this way a number of times, although I do not know his reason.}