LikutayMoharanVolume1:Torah45
ClappingofPalmsinPrayer
[Inthelanguageofourmaster,RabbiNachmanofBreslov,ofblessedmemory]
Behold,strikingpalmtopalmatthetimeofprayer,thisistheaspectofarousalofwings[spiritualfaculties],fromwhichspeech[expression]comes.Asitiswritten:“Andtheownerofwingsshalltellthematter.”[Ecclesiastes10:20]Itiswritten:“Andhandsofamanfromundertheirwings.”[Ezekiel10:8]Itturnsoutthatthroughaperson’sarousalinhishands[i.e.,clappingthem],thewingsarearoused—thatis,thewingsofthelung[sourceofbreathandspeech],fromwhichspeechisformed.Butstill,they[wings/speech]needtoprepareandrectifythemouth[organofspeech]toreceivethespeechwithinit.Throughhisstrikingpalmtopalm,throughthisthemouthisformed.Forineachhandtherearefivefingers[digits].Thestrikings[claps],whicharethelights[spiritualilluminations]:righthandinlefthand,thatis,fivetimesfive,numericalequivalenceoftwenty-five.Thestrikingslefthandinrighthand,fivetimesfive,alsonumericalequivalenceoftwenty-five.Twotimestwenty-five,numericalequivalenceoffifty.Thisistheaspectof“fiftytimestheExodusfromEgypt”mentionedintheTorah[linkedtospiritualliberation].ForthroughtheaspectofJubilee[fifty-yearcycleoffreedom],theywentoutfromtheexileofEgypt[ZoharShemos46a].ThemainaspectoftheexileofEgyptwasthatspeechwasinexile[restrictedexpression].Becauseofthis,Moshewas“heavyofmouth”[speechimpediment][Exodus4:10].Throughredemption[liberation],theaspectofthemouthwasformed.Itturnsoutthatthroughthe“fiftygatesofUnderstanding”[Kabbalisticlevelsofwisdom],themouthwasformed.Thisiswhatiswritten:“Whoplacedamouthinman?”[Exodus4:11]“Who”[numericalvalue50]precisely.Itturnsoutthatthroughstrikingpalmtopalm—fivefingersoftherightinthefiveoftheleft,andfiveoftheleftinthefiveoftheright—theaspectof“Who”isformed,throughwhichthemouthwasformed,asitiswritten:“Whoplacedamouthinman?”Themouthreceivesthespeechesfromthewingsofthelung,asitiswritten:“Andtheownerofwingsshalltellthematter.”Wingsarearousedbythearousalofthehandsofman,asitiswritten:“Andhandsofamanfromundertheirwings.”Allthisweseeempirically,thatthehandsareoppositethewingsofthelung.Becauseofthis,thehalakhicdecisorssaid:“Ifthewingbrokeclosetothebody,itisinvalid”[YorehDe’ah53][non-kosher,asthelungwascertainlypunctured].