סימן מ"ד

On the matter of clapping palm to palm in prayer — Atem Netzavim. This discourse was said on the Shabbas before Rosh Hashonoh of the year [5]563 — the first Shabbas that I [Rabbi Nosson] drew close to him. And know: at that time when he said this — it was close to his arrival in Breslov. And he then spoke much about the matter of clapping hands in prayer. And they told me that at the beginning of his arrival there — he once stood at the entrance of the study house in his home — and rebuked the people about prayer — that they were not praying properly. And he answered and said: one does not hear from anyone the slightest clapping of hands. And from this they immediately understood that he wished to restore the crown to its former glory — that they should return to stirring themselves and praying with concentration and vitality and inflaming — and with great force. As the early Chassidim had been in the days of the Baal Shem Tov and his holy students who were in the generations before us. Also: at that same time — before the above Shabbas before Rosh Hashonoh — two chassidim of somewhat prominent standing were with him and dined with him. And in the course of their conversation with him — they were somewhat mocking a certain person whose way was to multiply clapping in prayer. And Rabbainu was displeased with this — and spoke harshly to them and said: do you really know what clapping hands in prayer is — and all the matters involved — that you mock this man for whom your clapping was not acceptable? Afterwards — on the Shabbas after that — which is the Shabbas before Rosh Hashonoh — I came for Shabbas. And then he said the discourse Atem Netzavim on the matter of clapping of hands. And this is the first discourse I merited to hear from his holy mouth. And immediately I wrote it down with the help of Hashem.

Also: afterwards — shortly after Sukkos — one person came to him — and he was the person who had been with him before Rosh Hashonoh and had mocked the clapping of hands of a certain person as above. And Rabbainu showed him a passage in Pri Etz Chaim — on the matter of "and He shall make peace for you [v'yasem lecha shalom]" — which is an acrostic of shelav [quail] — which is the aspect of: "I was at ease and He shook me up" [Job 16]. And he commanded him to recite this matter before him. And he was compelled to recite it before him. And afterwards Rabbainu said to him the Torah on the matter of clapping — which is in Siman 46 — on the matter of the three hands. See there. [All of the above is copied from Chayyay Moharan — and see there further.]

The author writes: I heard from one of our people [anshei shelanu] that Rabbainu said: "we conquered the city of Breslov with clapping of palms and dancing." For in truth at the beginning of his arrival in Breslov he immediately spoke much about the matter of clapping hands in prayer — as elaborated in the discourse Atem Netzavim above — and in the discourses close to it. And likewise the discourse Mishpatim, Siman 10, was said in this winter. And in this year he danced much — as is known and elaborated elsewhere. [See Chayyay Moharan 115–116.]