LikutayMoharanVolume1:Torah44
“Whatonestrikespalmtopalmatthetimeofprayer”
[Inthelanguageofourmaster,RabbiNachmanofBreslov,ofblessedmemory]
Our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Beraishis Rabbah 1]: Why does the Torah begin with Beraishis? So that when the nations say to us, “You are robbers, for you conquered the land of the seven nations,” [we reply that] He told His people the power of His works, that all the worlds are the work of His hands, and He gives to whomever He wishes. This is: “Togivethemtheinheritanceofnations” [Psalms 111:6], for everything is in His hand. All things are called the power of His works, corresponding to the twenty-eight letters of the Work of Creation, corresponding to the twenty-eight joints of the hands. It is known that the air of the land of the nations is impure [Shabbos 15b, Gittin 8a, Nazir 54b–55a], while the air of the Land of Israel is holy and pure, for G-d took it from the hand of the nations and gave it to us. But the land of the nations, which is outside the Land, has impure air. When we strike palm to palm, the twenty-eight letters of the Work of Creation, the power of His works, are aroused. It is found that it is in His hand to give us the inheritance of nations, for everything belongs to G-d. Through this, we have the power in our hands to purify the air of the land of the nations, for the land of the nations returns under G-d’s dominion, and it is in His hand to give to whomever He wishes, as it is written: “Togivethemtheinheritanceofnations.” Then the air of the place where the Israelite prays is purified, and he draws holy air as if in the Land of Israel.
Also,throughstrikingpalmtopalm,theimpureair[unholyspiritualatmosphere]isdrivenaway.Forthroughstrikingofhands,asoundisheard,andthissoundisholyairfromthetwenty-eightlettersoftheWorkofCreation,fromthetwenty-eightjointsofthehands,asweseeempiricallythattheairisdrivenawaythroughstrikingofhands.Becauseofthis,onemustfixaplace[consistentlocation]forhisprayer[Brachos6b].Asweseeempirically,peoplewhocometoaprovincewheretheyarenotaccustomedtoitsairweakenanddie,evenfromanevilabodetoabeautifulabode[Kesuvos110b].Soitiswithprayer:evenwhenhestandstoprayinaplacewhereatzadik(righteousperson[saintlyindividual])prayed,itisveryhardforhimtopraythere,forheisnotaccustomedtotheairoftheplace,allthemoresofromabeautifulabodetoanevilabode.
Our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Brachos 6b]: “Anyone who fixes a place for his prayer, the G-d of Avraham is his help.” For through Avraham, the world is built anew. The building of the world is through Avraham, as it is written: “Theworldisbuiltwithchessed(kindness[divineattribute]).” [Psalms 89:3]
[And] This is what is brought in Tikunay Zohar [Tikkun 22:66a]: “With this power, Israel are strengthened over Edom.” Further: “One needs to raise this power to the side of chochmah (wisdom [divine attribute]).” This is the aspect of: “Anyone who fixes a place for his prayer, the G-d of Avraham is his help.” For Avraham is the right [attribute of chessed], and “one who wants to become wise should face south” [Bava Basra 25b] [south is the right side, as one typically faces east during prayer, making south the right]. Further, “the G-d of Avraham is his help,” for Avraham was the first to attain the Land of Israel, as brought in the Zohar [Lech Lecha 78b]: “He weighed with a scale [meticulous assessment] until it was revealed to him.”
This is the explanation of [Brachos 26b]: “Prayers correspond to the continual offerings [daily Temple sacrifices].” They instituted “continual,” the aspect of the Land of Israel [Shocher Tov, Psalm 105; Deuteronomy 11:12], as it is written: “ContinuallytheeyesofHashemyourG-dareuponit.” [Deuteronomy 11:12] One must see that he prays his prayer in the air of the Land of Israel. This is the rectification of idolatrous thoughts [distracting thoughts] in prayer, which are aspects of “prayers opposite” [opposing proper prayer], as mentioned above. Their rectification is through “continual,” through aspects of the Land of Israel.
This is the explanation of: “AndbythehandoftheprophetsIwillbelikened.” [Hosea 12:11] Through the hands, through striking of palm, the speeches are spoken in the land of holiness [Zechariah 2:16]. Prophets – a term of speaking [as explained in Rashi on Exodus 6:29, the root of “prophet” means moving of the lips in speech].
Also,killinganddestruction[calamities]arenullifiedfromtheworld.Forthehandsareaspectsof:“Lettherebelightandtherewaslight,”[Genesis1:3]representingtheright[attributeofchessed]andleft[attributeofgevurah(strength[divinejudgment])].Itiswritten:“AndG-dsawthelight,etc.,andHeseparatedbetweenthelight.”[Genesis1:4]ThisisAharon[ZoharTikkunim30:71b],whobroughtpeaceandseparatedbetweengoodandevil.Thisistheaspectof:“AndIwillgivepeaceinthelandandaswordshallnotpassthroughyourland.”[Leviticus26:6]
“Youstandthisday” [Deuteronomy 29:9]: There is no standing but prayer [Brachos 6b]. “BeforeHashemyourG-d,” this is the aspect of the Land of Israel, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Kesuvos 110b]: “Anyone who dwells in the Land of Israel is like one who has a G-d.” Through what will you merit that your prayer be in the air of the Land of Israel? “Yourheads,yourtribes,” etc., counting ten aspects, the aspect of striking palm to palm.
“Prayers correspond to continual offerings,” the aspect of the Land of Israel. Through striking palm to palm, idolatrous thoughts are nullified. For anyone who dwells outside the Land is like one who has no G-d, and anyone who dwells in the Land of Israel is like one who has a G-d. Through striking palm to palm, he dwells in the air of the Land of Israel, and he has a G-d, and idolatrous thoughts are nullified. As it is written: “Andhishandswerefaithuntilthesuncame,” [Exodus 17:12] and its Targum: “Spread in prayer.” Opposite faith are the denials [heretical thoughts], idolatrous thoughts of nations. Their rectification is through continual offerings, through the Land of Israel, through striking palm to palm.
This is the explanation of: “Andyoushallbeacrownoftiferes(splendor[divineharmony])inthehandofHashem.” [Isaiah 62:3]
Through the hand of Hashem, through striking palm to palm—that the hands of G-d are aroused, as mentioned above—through this, the thoughts of nations [idolatrous influences] are rectified. For through nations, he damages tiferes, as it is written: “Asthetiferesofamantodwellinthehouse.” [Isaiah 44:13] When he rectifies his thoughts, through this a crown of tiferes is made, that tiferes is crowned with the crown that his mother crowned him [Song of Songs 3:11].
Anotherexplanation:“Prayersopposite”—thatistheidolatrousthoughtsthatoppose,whichconfusehisprayer,calledaflood[overwhelmingdistraction]thatconfuseshisprayer.Theirrectificationisthathegivetzedakah(charity[righteousgiving])totheLandofIsrael.Throughthis,heisincludedintheLandofIsrael,aboutwhichitissaid:“Alandthatisnotrainedupononthedayofwrath.”[Isaiah30:23][Z’vochim113a][protectedfromnegativeinfluences].Throughthis,heissavedfromidolatrousthoughts.Thisis“continualofferings,”theirrectificationthroughtheLandofIsrael,uponwhichitissaid:“AlandwhichcontinuallytheeyesofHashemyourG-dareuponit.”[Deuteronomy11:12]Also,theairoftheLandofIsraelmakesonewise[BavaBasra158b].Throughthis,thebrain[mind]ispurified,whichishisthought.Asitiswritten:“AndIwillseeittorememberthebrisoalum(everlastingcovenant[spiritualbond]).”[Genesis9:16]“AndIwillseeit”throughaspectsoftheLandofIsrael.Throughthis,thebrisoalumisarousedandrectified.Thisappliestoaspectsofprayer,theeighteenbrachoas(blessings[oftheAmidah]),andthetzadik,whoisthelifeofworlds[sustainerofcreation].
Anotherexplanation:“Prayersopposite”—throughprayer,thesecretsoftheTorah,calledthefurnacesoftheworld,thelambsoftheMercifulOne,arerevealed,asitiswritten:“Andlambsforyourclothing.”[Proverbs27:26][Chagigah13a,thesecretsoftheToraharethefurnacesoftheworld].Continualofferingsarelambs,asitiswritten:“Theonelambyoushallofferinthemorning.”[Numbers28:4][ZoharPinchas226b].Throughprayers,thesecretsoftheToraharerevealed,asbroughtontheverse:“Whenyoupassthroughthewaters,Iamwithyou.”[Isaiah43:2][seeLikutayMoharan73and15].
[AllthismatterfromthebeginningofTorah44untilhereisconnectedtogether.Weheardmanyofthesethingsinoneexposition.Butinhisholywriting,hedividedthemalittle,andsowashiswayseveraltimes,andIdidnotknowhisreason.]