Siman 78

(19.) The Torah "You are standing" (Likutay Moharan, vol. 1, Torah 44) was said on the Sabbath before Rosh Hashana of the year 5563 [1802], the first Sabbath on which I was drawn close to him. And it speaks there about the matter of clapping hands in prayer. And know that at the time he said this Torah, it was close to his entering here in Breslov, and he then spoke a great deal about the matter of clapping hands in prayer. And he told me that at the very beginning of his entering here, he once stood at the entrance of the beis midrash [house of study] that is in his house, and he rebuked the congregation regarding prayer — that they were not praying properly. And he answered and said that one does not hear from any of the worshippers any clapping of hands at all. And from this we immediately understood that he wished to restore the crown to its former glory — that they should return to awakening themselves to pray with intention and fervor and great strength, as the early Chassidim who were in the days of the Baal Shem Tov o.b.m. and his holy disciples in the generations before us. For in the early days of Rabbainu o.b.m., the Chassidim had already begun to cool etc., and he o.b.m. toiled and labored greatly to rectify all this and to restore the crown to its former glory. Also at that time — before the Sabbath preceding the aforementioned Rosh Hashana — there were with him two Chassidim of some distinction, and they dined with him o.b.m. And in the course of their conversation with him, they were mocking one man from Nemerov whose custom was to multiply the clapping of hands during prayer. And Rabbainu za"l was very displeased by this and spoke harshly with them, and said to them: Do you know what the clapping of hands in prayer is, and all the matters contained in it — that you mock this man who did not find favor in your eyes for his clapping of hands? And afterwards, on the Sabbath that followed — which was the Sabbath before Rosh Hashana — I myself came for the Sabbath. And then he said the Torah "You are standing" on the matter of clapping of hands. And it was the first Torah I merited to hear from his holy mouth, and immediately I wrote it, with G-d's great help — praise to G-d my life's vitality. Also afterwards, close after Sukkos, one man came to him from Nemerov — and he was the man who had been with him before Rosh Hashana and had been mocking the clapping of hands of the aforementioned man. And this man came on account of his son who had fallen ill with him, may the Merciful One save us. And Rabbainu o.b.m. showed him a passage in the Pri Etz Chaim regarding the matter of "v'yasem l'cha shalom" ["and He will set peace for you"] — which is an acrostic for shalev [tranquil] — which is the aspect of [Job 16:12]: "shalev hayiti vay'farpar'eni" ["I was at peace and He shattered me"]. And he commanded him to read this matter aloud before him, and he was compelled to read it before him. And afterwards Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him the Torah about the clapping of the hand in Torah 46 — about the three hands etc. — see there. But this man refused to bow his shoulder to bear the yoke of Torah and to draw close to him o.b.m. And he returned home, and the child became more ill. And the man told me all the aforementioned matter — all that Rabbainu o.b.m. had engaged with him, and all this Torah he had said to him then. And he also told me that Rabbainu o.b.m. had told him a certain story about a certain officer who was extremely brazen and harsh, called a banit — and he does not remember the story well. And the man asked me that when I next travel to him, I should mention the child before him and ask him to save him. And I traveled to him shortly thereafter and spoke with him about this. He answered and said with astonishment: Is the child still alive? And I stood trembling and astonished, for I understood from his words that the decree had already been sealed upon the child for death. Rabbainu o.b.m. answered and said: If the aforementioned man had accepted my words, the child would already have returned to his health. [As if to say: but now that he did not accept my words, it is impossible for the child to live.] And so it was — shortly afterwards the child passed away. And when Rabbainu o.b.m. spoke with me about the aforementioned man who had not accepted his words, I began to intercede on his behalf and said: How is it possible for him to draw close — is he not already affiliated [with one of the opposing groups]? He replied o.b.m.: If so, he has a great trial. As if to say: And so what if he is affiliated? Is it on account of this that he cannot draw close? Only his trial is great. And certainly he needs to withstand the trial and break all the impediments and draw close.