Mechaat Kaf Bishat HaTefillah(Clapping during Prayer). This is an aspect of positioning the bed between north and south (Berakhot 5b). For a bed—i.e., an aspect of marital union—corresponds to prayer (Tikkuney Zohar #10). And north and south is an aspect of hands.
2. Clapping hands also mitigates the judgments. For there are three HaVaYaH. These correspond to the three hands: the great hand, the strong hand, and the exalted hand. Now, the right hand is “a great hand”; the left hand is “a strong hand”; and while striking they join together—this is the aspect of “an exalted hand.” And the words that emerge issue from the throat—[with its] numerical value of three times ELoHIM —which is mitigated through the three HaVaYaH.
This is the explanation of “My soul is constantly in my hand, [v’Toratkha lo shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah)]” (Psalms 119:109). The soul is an aspect of speech, as is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “My soul came forth when he spoke”—i.e., an aspect of prayer, as is written (Job 18:4), “He tears his soul apart in anger.” “In my hand”—this is an aspect of clapping hands, through which “V’toratkha Lo Shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah).” The first letters, ShaLeV, have the same numerical value as three HaVaYaH and three ELoHIM —i.e., the mitigation of the judgments.
Forgetting is also essentially from constricted awareness, from the aspect of Elohim. But when a person mitigates Elohim through his hands—<through which he is in an aspect of expanded awareness>—as a result “I did not forget Your Torah.”
And this is the explanation of “Ki bi (Because for Me) he yearned, I will deliver him” (Psalms 91:14). “KI BI (Because for Me)” has a numerical value of forty-two, which is three times YaD (hand) equals forty-two. The yearning in the heart is revealed in the hands, <as explained elsewhere, the spirit that pulsates in the heart enters the hands. We see, then, that through the yearning in the heart it comes into the hands>. This is the aspect of clapping, through which “I will deliver him”—corresponding to mitigating the judgments.
3 . Clapping hands also eliminates strife. For all strife emanates from the aspect of Korach against Aharon (Numbers 16), they being the aspect of left and right. Thus, by clapping, the left is encompassed within the right and the right is encompassed within the left, becoming one.
This is the explanation of “His lightning bolts light up tevel (the world); [the earth] sees [and trembles]” (Psalms 97:4). “Tevel” is an aspect of clapping, because the right hand is AB and the left hand is RaYU. By encompassing one in the other, twice RaYU is made—equivalent to TeVeL. For also AB, which is the right, contains three times AB —equivalent to RaYU. And three times AB corresponds to the high priest, the regular priest, and the assistant priest.
And by virtue of Tevel being seen—<through> clapping—“His lightning bolts light up.” There is a rectification of strife, which is called “a lightning bolt,” as is written (Zechariah 9:14), “and His arrows will flash like lightning.” And an arrow connotes strife, as is written (Genesis 49:23), “masters of the arrow made him their target,” which Onkelos renders: “masters of strife.”
And this is the explanation of “All you nations, tikeu (join) hands” (Psalms 47:2). It connotes joining together, because twice AB RaYU has the same numerical value as TiKEU.
4. Seeing that before I copied this lesson from Rebbe Nachman’s holy manuscript I first wrote out some of it myself, the way I had heard it, and seeing that some matters are more fully clarified there, I have therefore recorded it below. For the two are equally good.
The matter of clapping in the time of prayer: It is written in the Pri Etz Chaim (Shaar Chazarat HaAmidah 7): “I had been shalev (tranquil), but He broke me asunder” (Job 16:12). ShaLeV has the same numerical value as three HaVaYaH and three ELoHIM. Moreover, the first letters of “V’yaseim Lekha Shalom (and give you peace)” (Numbers 6:26) are equivalent to ShaLeV. In other words, three times HaVaYaH mitigates the three ELoHIM.
For there are three hands: a great hand, a strong hand, and an exalted hand. They are: the right hand is “a great hand”; the left hand, “a strong hand”; and by clasping the hands, “an exalted hand” is made.
Therefore, when a person claps and joins the hands while praying, the judgments are mitigated. This is because YaD (hand) is an aspect of HaVaYaH — Yod letters and Dalet letters. And through the three hands, which are the three HaVaYaH, the three ELoHIM are mitigated—these being the judgments that emerge from the GaRON, which has a numerical value of three ELoHIM.
This is also a segulah (preternatural device) for [good] memory, as in, “My soul is constantly in my hand, [v’Toratkha lo shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah)].”
Thus when he mitigates the judgments, as mentioned above, he is then in expanded awareness. He does not forget. Therefore, “V’toratkha Lo Shakhachti”—the first letters [of which are] ShaLeV. In other words, by mitigating three ELoHiM through three HaVaYaH, he does not forget. And this is specifically during prayer, for then he knows whether he is in constricted or expanded awareness. This is because the spoken word is a revelation of the mentalities, as is written (Proverbs 2:6), “knowledge and discernment are from His mouth.”
לְשׁוֹן רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה מֶחָאַת כַּף בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, זֶה בְּחִינוֹת נְתִינַת הַמִּטָּה בֵּין צָפוֹן לְדָרוֹם. כִּי מִטָּה, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינוֹת זִוּוּג, בְּחִינוֹת תְּפִלָּה (תיקון י' ועיין תיקון נח). וְצָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם, זֶה בְּחִינוֹת יָדַיִם.
Mechaat Kaf Bishat HaTefillah (Clapping during Prayer). This is an aspect of positioning the bed between north and south (Berakhot 5b). For a bed—i.e., an aspect of marital union—corresponds to prayer (Tikkuney Zohar #10). And north and south is an aspect of hands.
וְזֶה שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל אַבָּא בִּנְיָמִין (ברכות ה:), שֶׁיְּהֵא תְּפִלָּתוֹ סָמוּךְ לְמִטָּתוֹ, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין הַתְּפִלָּה לַזִּוּוּג:
This is what Abba Binyamin prayed: that his prayer be close to his bed—i.e., that there be no separation between prayer and union.
גַּם עַל־יְדֵי מֶחָאַת כַּף נִמְתָּקִים הַדִּינִים. כִּי יֵשׁ שָׁלֹשׁ הֲוָיוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת שָׁלֹשׁ יָדַיִם: יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה, יָד הַחֲזָקָה, יָד הָרָמָה. וְיַד יָמִין זֶה יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה. וְיַד שְׂמֹאל, זֶה יָד הַחֲזָקָה. וּבִשְׁעַת הַכָּאָה שֶׁנִּתְחַבְּרִים יַחַד, זֶה בְּחִינַת יָד רָמָה. וְהַדִּבּוּרִים הַיּוֹצְאִים, הֵם יוֹצְאִים מֵהַגָּרוֹן, גִּימַטְרִיָּא שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים אֱלֹקִים, וְהֵם נִמְתָּקִים עַל־יְדֵי שָׁלֹשׁ הֲוָיוֹת.
2. Clapping hands also mitigates the judgments. For there are three HaVaYaH. These correspond to the three hands: the great hand, the strong hand, and the exalted hand. Now, the right hand is “a great hand”; the left hand is “a strong hand”; and while striking they join together—this is the aspect of “an exalted hand.” And the words that emerge issue from the throat—[with its] numerical value of three times ELoHIM —which is mitigated through the three HaVaYaH.
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (תהילים קי״ט:ק״ט): נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד וְכוּ', נֶפֶשׁ, זֶה בְּחִינוֹת דִּבּוּר. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב(שיר השירים ה׳:ו׳): נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ; הַיְנוּ בְּחִינוֹת תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איוב י״ח:ד׳): טוֹרֵף נַפְשׁוֹ בְּאַפּוֹ. בְּכַפִּי – הַיְנוּ בְּחִינוֹת מֶחָאַת הַכַּף. עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, וְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי – רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת שָׁלֵו, גִּימַטְרִיָּא שָׁלֹשׁ הֲוָיוֹת וְשָׁלֹשׁ אֱלֹקִים, הַיְנוּ הַמְתָּקַת הַדִּינִים.
This is the explanation of “My soul is constantly in my hand, [v’Toratkha lo shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah)]” (Psalms 119:109). The soul is an aspect of speech, as is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “My soul came forth when he spoke”—i.e., an aspect of prayer, as is written (Job 18:4), “He tears his soul apart in anger.” “In my hand”—this is an aspect of clapping hands, through which “V’toratkha Lo Shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah).” The first letters, ShaLeV, have the same numerical value as three HaVaYaH and three ELoHIM —i.e., the mitigation of the judgments.
גַּם עִקַּר הַשִּׁכְחָה הוּא מִמֹּחִין דְּקַטְנוּת, מִבְּחִינוֹת אֱלֹקִים, וּכְשֶׁמַּמְתִּיק אֶת אֱלֹקִים בְּכַפָּיו, עַל־ יְדֵי־זֶה: וְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי:
Forgetting is also essentially from constricted awareness, from the aspect of Elohim. But when a person mitigates Elohim through his hands—<through which he is in an aspect of expanded awareness>—as a result “I did not forget Your Torah.”
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (תהילים צ״א:י״ד): כִּי בִי חָשַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵהוּ. כִּי בִי גִּימַטְרִיָּא מ"ב (הקדמת התיקונים דף ז:), הַיְנוּ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים יָד גִּימַטְרִיָּא מ"ב, שֶׁנִּתְגַּלֶּה הַחֵשֶׁק שֶׁבַּלֵּב בַּיָּדַיִם, וְזֶה בְּחִינוֹת מֶחָאַת כַּפַּיִם. עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: וַאֲפַלְּטֵהוּ – בְּחִינוֹת הַמְתָּקַת הַדִּינִים:
And this is the explanation of “Ki bi (Because for Me) he yearned, I will deliver him” (Psalms 91:14). “KI BI (Because for Me)” has a numerical value of forty-two, which is three times YaD (hand) equals forty-two. The yearning in the heart is revealed in the hands, <as explained elsewhere, the spirit that pulsates in the heart enters the hands. We see, then, that through the yearning in the heart it comes into the hands>. This is the aspect of clapping, through which “I will deliver him”—corresponding to mitigating the judgments.
גַּם עַל־יְדֵי מֶחָאַת כַּף מְבַטֵּל הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, כִּי כָּל הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת נִמְשָׁכִים מִבְּחִינַת קֹרַח עַל אַהֲרֹן, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת שְׂמָאלָא וִימִינָא, וְעַל־יְדֵי מֶחָאַת כַּף נִכְלָלִים שְׂמֹאל בְּיָמִין וְיָמִין בִּשְׂמֹאל, וְנַעֲשִׂים אַחְדוּת.
3 . Clapping hands also eliminates strife. For all strife emanates from the aspect of Korach against Aharon (Numbers 16), they being the aspect of left and right. Thus, by clapping, the left is encompassed within the right and the right is encompassed within the left, becoming one.
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ, (תהילים צ״ז:ד׳): הֵאִירוּ בְּרָקָיו תֵּבֵל רָאֲתָה. תֵּבֵל, זֶה בְּחִינוֹת מֶחָאַת כַּפַּיִם, כִּי יָמִין זֶה ע"ב, וּשְׂמֹאל זֶה רי"ו. וְעַל־ יְדֵי שֶׁנִּכְלָלִים זֶה בָּזֶה, נַעֲשֶׂה שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים רי"ו, גִּימַטְרִיָּא תֵּבֵל. כִּי גַּם ע"ב, שֶׁהוּא יָמִין, יֵשׁ בּוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים ע"ב, גִּימַטְרִיָּא רי"ו. וּשְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים ע"ב, זֶה בְּחִינַת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וְכֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט וּסְגַן הַכֹּהֵן.
This is the explanation of “His lightning bolts light up tevel (the world); [the earth] sees [and trembles]” (Psalms 97:4). “Tevel” is an aspect of clapping, because the right hand is AB and the left hand is RaYU. By encompassing one in the other, twice RaYU is made—equivalent to TeVeL. For also AB, which is the right, contains three times AB —equivalent to RaYU. And three times AB corresponds to the high priest, the regular priest, and the assistant priest.
וְעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁנִּתְרָאָה תֵּבֵל, הַיְנוּ מֶחָאַת הַכַּפַּיִם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הֵאִירוּ בְּרָקָיו – נִתְתַּקֵּן הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת הַנִּקְרָא בָּרָק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (זכריה ט׳:י״ד): וַיֵּצֵא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ; וְחֵץ לְשׁוֹן מַחֲלֹקֶת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית מ״ט:כ״ג): וַיִּשְׂטְמוּהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים; וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ: בַּעֲלֵי פַּלְגּוּתָא.
And by virtue of Tevel being seen—<through> clapping—“His lightning bolts light up.” There is a rectification of strife, which is called “a lightning bolt,” as is written (Zechariah 9:14), “and His arrows will flash like lightning.” And an arrow connotes strife, as is written (Genesis 49:23), “masters of the arrow made him their target,” which Onkelos renders: “masters of strife.”
וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ, (תהילים מ״ז:ב׳): כָּל הָעַמִּים תִּקְעוּ כָף, לְשׁוֹן הִתְחַבְּרוּת, כִּי שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים ע"ב רי"ו, גִּימַטְרִיָּא תִּקְעוּ:
And this is the explanation of “All you nations, tikeu (join) hands” (Psalms 47:2). It connotes joining together, because twice AB RaYU has the same numerical value as TiKEU.
לִהְיוֹת קֹדֶם שֶׁהֶעְתַּקְתִּי תּוֹרָה זֹאת מִכְּתִיבַת יָדוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, כָּתַבְתִּי מִתְּחִלָּה קְצָת מֵעִנְיָן זֶה בְּעַצְמִי, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁשְּׁמַעְתִּיו. וְלִהְיוֹת קְצָת דְּבָרִים מְבֹאָרִים שָׁם קְצָת יוֹתֵר, עַל כֵּן הֶעְתַּקְתִּיו גַּם כֵּן, וּשְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים. וְזֶהוּ:
4. Seeing that before I copied this lesson from Rebbe Nachman’s holy manuscript I first wrote out some of it myself, the way I had heard it, and seeing that some matters are more fully clarified there, I have therefore recorded it below. For the two are equally good.
עִנְיַן הַכָּאַת כַּף אֶל כַּף בְּעֵת הַתְּפִלָּה: כָּתוּב בִּ"פְרִי־עֵץ־חַיִּים" (בשער חזרת עמידה פ"ז בסופו): שָׁלֵו הָיִיתִי וַיְפַרְפְּרֵנִי (איוב ט״ז:י״ב), שָׁלֵ"ו בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא ג' הֲוָיוֹת וְג' אֱלֹהִים. וְרָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת שֶׁל: וְ'יָשֵׂם לְ'ךָ שָׁ'לוֹם, גִּימַטְרִיָּא שָׁלֵ"ו. דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁג' פְּעָמִים הֲוָיָה מַמְתִּיק ג' אֱלֹקִים.
The matter of clapping in the time of prayer: It is written in the Pri Etz Chaim (Shaar Chazarat HaAmidah 7): “I had been shalev (tranquil), but He broke me asunder” (Job 16:12). ShaLeV has the same numerical value as three HaVaYaH and three ELoHIM. Moreover, the first letters of “V’yaseim Lekha Shalom (and give you peace)” (Numbers 6:26) are equivalent to ShaLeV. In other words, three times HaVaYaH mitigates the three ELoHIM.
כִּי יֵשׁ ג' יָדַיִם: יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה, וְיָד הַחֲזָקָה, וְיָד הָרָמָה. וְהֵן: יַד יָמִין הוּא יָד הַגְּדוֹלָה; יַד הַשְּׂמֹאל – יָד הַחֲזָקָה; וְעַל־יְדֵי חֲבוּקַת הַיָּדַיִם נַעֲשֶׂה יָד הָרָמָה.
For there are three hands: a great hand, a strong hand, and an exalted hand. They are: the right hand is “a great hand”; the left hand, “a strong hand”; and by clasping the hands, “an exalted hand” is made.
וְעַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁמַכֶּה כַּף אֶל כַּף וּמְחַבֵּר הַיָּדַיִם בַּתְּפִלָה, נִמְתָּקִין הַדִּינִין, כִּי יָד הוּא בְּחִינַת הֲוָיָה, יוּד אוֹתִיּוֹת וְד' אוֹתִיּוֹת. וְעַל־יְדֵי ג' הַיָּדַיִם, שֶׁהוּא ג' הֲוָיוֹת, נִמְתָּקִין הַג' אֱלֹקִים, שֶׁהֵם הַדִּינִין הַיּוֹצְאִין מֵהַגָּרוֹן, שֶׁהוּא בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא ג' אֱלֹקִים.
Therefore, when a person claps and joins the hands while praying, the judgments are mitigated. This is because YaD (hand) is an aspect of HaVaYaH — Yod letters and Dalet letters. And through the three hands, which are the three HaVaYaH, the three ELoHIM are mitigated—these being the judgments that emerge from the GaRON, which has a numerical value of three ELoHIM.
וְהוּא סְגֻלָּה לְזִכָּרוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים קי״ט:ק״ט): נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד.
This is also a segulah (preternatural device) for [good] memory, as in, “My soul is constantly in my hand, [v’Toratkha lo shakhachti (I did not forget Your Torah)].”
נַפְשִׁי, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שיר השירים ה׳:ו׳): נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ.
My soul — This is an aspect of prayer, as is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “My soul came forth when he spoke.”
בְכַפִּי תָמִיד, הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁמַכֶּה כַּף אֶל כַּף בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, עַל יְדֵי זֶה:
constantly in my hand — This is an aspect of clapping hands during prayer. Through this:
וְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי, כִּי הַשִּׁכְחָה הוּא מֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת, בְּחִינַת אֱלֹקִים,
I did not forget Your Torah — This is because forgetfulness is constricted awareness, an aspect of Elohim.
וּכְשֶׁמַּמְתִּיק הַדִּינִים כַּנַּ"ל, אֲזַי הוּא בְּמֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת, וְאֵין לוֹ שִׁכְחָה. וְעַל כֵּן וְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי – רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת שָׁלֵ"ו, דְּהַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמַּמְתִּיק ג' אֱלֹקִים בְּג' הֲוָיוֹת כַּנַּ"ל, אֵין לוֹ שִׁכְחָה. וְזֶה דַּיְקָא בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, כִּי אָז יוֹדֵעַ אִם הוּא בְּמֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת אוֹ דְּגַדְלוּת, כִּי הַדִּבּוּר הוּא הִתְגַּלּוּת הַמֹּחִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ב׳:ו׳): מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָה:
Thus when he mitigates the judgments, as mentioned above, he is then in expanded awareness. He does not forget. Therefore, “V’toratkha Lo Shakhachti”—the first letters [of which are] ShaLeV. In other words, by mitigating three ELoHiM through three HaVaYaH, he does not forget. And this is specifically during prayer, for then he knows whether he is in constricted or expanded awareness. This is because the spoken word is a revelation of the mentalities, as is written (Proverbs 2:6), “knowledge and discernment are from His mouth.”