Likutei Moharan 46:4/ליקוטי מוהר"ן מ״ו:ד׳

14. 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.

2The 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.

3For 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.

4Therefore, 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.

5This 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)].”

6My soul — This is an aspect of prayer, as is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “My soul came forth when he spoke.”

7constantly in my hand — This is an aspect of clapping hands during prayer. Through this:

8I did not forget Your Torah — This is because forgetfulness is constricted awareness, an aspect of Elohim.

9Thus 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.”