Pidyon NefeshRansom of the SoulRambanShemen SassonArizalMaharam Zechut,the holy Rashashthe Maharam PapirashAvodat HaKodesh by the ChidaRefuah VeChaim by Rabbi Chaim Palagi+26
In Pri Etz Chaim (the honorable and holy rabbi wrote), regarding the importance of the Pidyon. This is a translated quotation: “This Pidyon Nefesh is beneficial and serves as a remedy for any trouble that may come, particularly for the sick, who will recover swiftly. It has been tested over a thousand times and has proven effective with Hashem’s help immediately, with its benefit and remedy becoming apparent to everyone, and people would say: How great are Your deeds, Hashem.”
The concept of Pidyon Nefesh (Ransom of the Soul) appears in the writings of our Kabbalistic masters throughout the generations, starting with Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (the Ramban), then the “Shemen Sasson” in the name of the Arizal, and the Maharam Zechut, the holy Rashash, the Maharam Papirash, and in Avodat HaKodesh by the Chida, and in the Refuah VeChaim by Rabbi Chaim Palagi (ZLH"H), and more… In the book Sha’arei Rachamim, it is written: “The Pidyon Nefesh is received from Eliyahu the Prophet, may he be remembered for good.”
There are variations in the wording of the Pidyon and the manner in which it is performed among our Kabbalistic masters. The main method is according to the holy Rashash, who follows the path of our teacher, the Arizal, and our teacher, our rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Vital. Nevertheless, according to the instruction of our master, the head of the Yeshiva, it is desirable to perform all types of Pidyonim to ensure the best outcome.
The Rashash, (ZLH"H), wrote that the Pidyon should be performed with 160 coins, which have the numerical value (gematria) of “Tzelem” (image), and that the coins should be of pure silver—since “silver” also has the gematria of “Tzelem.” He also provides the combinations of holy names that add up to the numerical value of “Tzelem.”
The rabbinic genius, Chida, who was a student of the Rashash, added that it also corresponds to the gematria of “Etz” (tree), reflecting that “a person is (like) a tree of the field.”
The Great Elevated Status of Pidyon Nefesh
The book Sha’ar HaKavanot notes in its glosses: That our master, Rabbi Chaim Vital would customarily perform Pidyon Nefesh the day before Rosh Hashanah and the day before Yom Kippur in this manner. Anyone who performs it in this way is certain to complete his year in peace (end of quote).
Similarly, the genius of Kabbalistic wisdom, the “Shemen Sasson” (ZLH"H), wrote that this guarantees the completion of one’s year.
In Pri Etz Chaim (the honorable and holy rabbi wrote), regarding the importance of the Pidyon. This is a translated quotation: “This Pidyon Nefesh is beneficial and serves as a remedy for any trouble that may come, particularly for the sick, who will recover swiftly. It has been tested over a thousand times and has proven effective with Hashem’s help immediately, with its benefit and remedy becoming apparent to everyone, and people would say: How great are Your deeds, Hashem.”
Pidyon Nefesh Protects Against All Troubles
One must know that the Pidyon is beneficial for preventing all troubles. As the holy RaM Papirash zt”l wrote in his introduction to the Seder Pidyon:“For Hashem is good to all, and His mercy is over all His works; and he does not desire the death of the wicked, and difficult in the eyes of Hashem is the death of His pious ones. Therefore, He teaches sinners the way of life—a tree of life for those who hold on through Pidyon Nefesh. And this Pidyon Nefesh is precious, for through it no harm comes to the righteous. It justifies judgement of the heavenly court on himself and it sweetens the judgment of the L-rd, as will be explained nearby, with Hashem's assistance… And therefore, I said "after I have been granted to be sustained like this day, I will not withhold good from its rightful owner, while I have the power to act for the sake of Heaven, as I was instructed from the heavenly court above, by means of my holy rabbis who reside in the land of the living. And this Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul) is a benefit and a remedy for every trouble that may come, especially for the sick, who will recover quickly. And it has already been tested and examined more than a thousand times, and it was beneficial, with Hashem's assistance, immediately at that very hour, and its benefit and healing were evident to every person. And they would say: ‘How great are Your works, O Hashem! Now we know that there is a L-rd in Israel’, and He will not abandon His kindness and truth from His people Israel. " Up to here is a quotation (as brought in the siddur Ahavat Shalom of the eminent Kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Hillel, shlit"a)."
Is a Husband Obligated to Perform Pidyon Nefesh for His Sick Wife?
Halacha is clear in Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer, Siman 69, Se’if 1) that a husband is obligated to provide for his wife’s medical care and the matter is clear that there is a value in giving charity and the Pidyon Nefesh for the benefit of every sick person; while not every beneficial act obligates the husband, but the later authorities write that in families where the custom is to perform Pidyon Nefesh in times of illness, the husband should perform it for his wife if she falls ill, heaven forbid. They derived this from the words of the Noda B’Yehuda (see Mishpetei HaLeviפ"ט הלכה ח).
When One Gives Charity for Pidyon He Will Not Have to Spend Money for Doctors & Medicines
The holy Zohar explains that it was decreed upon a sick person to waste money on doctors and medicines. By giving charity to poor people who are fitting, by this action one negates the decree upon him (the sick individual) to spend money on doctors and medicines; for by doing so, one silences the accuser and, as it says, “Charity saves from death”; as stated in the Midrash that an angel that is created from the charity ascends and testifies, "Behold this person sustained such and such amount of souls, and if so, how can we decree upon him a penalty of death; on the contrary he must be sustained in order that he sustains more and more souls".
How Pidyon Nefesh Affects the Person
Beyond the body and soul, everyone has a “Tzelem” (spiritual image). This Tzelem is a spiritual component that resides upon a person, sustains him and protects him from all bad things. If the Tzelem is damaged or removed, the protection for a person is damaged and then he can be damaged physically or financially, or in similar issues. Performing Pidyon Nefesh properly restores the Tzelem to its place, providing optimal protection upon a person.
Timing - It is preferable to perform the Pidyon early in the morning
It is preferable to perform the Pidyon early in the morning, before the illness worsens, heaven forbid; ideally at the end of the night close to dawn or after morning prayers, and to avoid performing it at the beginning of the night.
One should take 160 coins even if their weight is light, in order that the number reaches 160, and the numerical (gematria) value (of the Hebrew word for) silver is 160. Silver also hints to kindness, therefore the coins should be 160 silver coins; but if he is impoverished, he can give 160 copper coins (based on the genius, the Chida ZLH"H in Avodat Hakodesh).
How is the Pidyon Performed?
The rabbi performing the Pidyon writes combinations of holy names that equal the number 160 in total, and therefore one needs 160 pruta coins of silver. 160 is the numerical (gematria) value of Tzelem, and it restores the Tzelem protection for a person and it also is equivalent to the numerical value of "Etz" (tree) "for a person is (like) a tree of the field". After the Pidyon, the coins are given as charity to poor Torah scholars.
The Holy Name YL”Y that has the Tendency for Healing, could everyone be healed through it?
The Rabbi Z"l wrote in the gateway to the sayings of our sages, in Tractate Berachot, regarding the Amoraim that made the sick rise up by means that they said to the sick person, are your sufferings precious to you?" The sick person would respond, "not them and not their reward". "Yehav Lei Yadei" that is to say he gave his hand and made him rise. Our rabbi, the Arizal explained that he healed them by the name YL"Y (the initial letters of Yehav Lei Yadei) that has a numerical (gematria) value of fifty, parallel to the fifty gates of wisdom, and by means of drawing the gates of the fifty to the sick person, the healer caused the sick person to arise from his sickness.
I remember that on one Shabbat afternoon when they were learning a lesson with our master, our rabbi, the genius, the Kabbalist, Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi (ZTvKL) from the "Etz Hachaim" for a few hours straight, and the study hall was completely filled with students, they brought up in the lesson the secret of the name YL"Y that it has the tendency (alt. trans. power) to heal. One of the students, the Kabbalist and rabbinic genius, Rabbi Eliyahu David Slutkin ZT"L asked our master, the rabbiregarding the holy name YL"Y that has the tendency to heal, if so, I will go to the hospital and I will heal all the sick people by using this holy name. Our rabbi responded, "you think that one only has to have an intent towards this name, but there are other conditions and there are other intents (Kavanot) and also repentance and good deeds and more are needed".
Is it permissible not to go to a doctor, claiming that whatever was decreed by Heaven will happen anyway?
Here is what Rabbi Eliezer Papo wrote in Pele Yoetz (on the entry connected to healing):
He examined the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, on the verse “and he shall surely heal” (“ורפא ירפא”) — from here we learn that permission was granted to the physician to heal. But what benefit does a doctor provide? After all, all healing comes from Hashem. And if, Heaven forbid, it has been decreed that a person will not recover from his illness, what can a doctor help? Even if all the doctors in the world tried to heal him, they would not succeed. Regarding this, they said: “The doctor’s mistake is the Creator’s will,” and none can save from His hand. And if it has been decreed that he will recover, Hashem has many ways to bring healing; and he will send forth His word and heal them.
He answered that there are three kinds of decrees:
1. If a person possesses great merit, then even if he does not go to a doctor, he will recover through the power of his merit.
2. One upon whom it has been decreed, Heaven forbid, that he will not live — even if he guards himself with every possible precaution in the world, it will not help or save him.
3. There are decrees that are left to follow the natural order. If a person takes care of himself and follows medical treatment according to nature, he will live; if not, Heaven forbid, the opposite. About such a case it is said: “And there are those who perish without judgment.” Such a person may become liable because he violated the verse: “You shall greatly guard your souls.” If he does not protect himself, he bears responsibility for his own life. And he must be exceedingly careful not to become ill.
And they said in the Zohar that there are people for whom it is decreed that they will spend a certain amount of money. If a person is wise, he will give that money to charity; if not, Heaven forbid, he will end up paying it to doctors.
And always before engaging in medical treatment, a person should believe with complete faith that his healing is in the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He — the compassionate and faithful Healer — and should first pray before Him. Thus are the words of Rabbi Papo author of Pele Yoetz.
“And he shall surely heal” (“ורפא ירפא”) has the Gematria value of Pidyon Nefesh
The phrase “ורפא ירפא” (“and he shall surely heal”), together with its two words counted (giving an additional two to the phrase) has the Gematria value of Pidyon Nefesh (“פדיון נפש”). This teaches that the Pidyon procedure should come first, and only then is permission granted to the doctor to heal with whatever medicine may be used, after the judgment has already been sweetened. But before that, one requires a specific remedy and a specific physician.(Attributed to Rabbeinu Nachman of Breslov in Likutey Moharan.)
Pidyon Nefesh at Our Holy Yeshiva
A “Pidyon Nefesh” ceremony at the holy Yeshiva of the Kabbalists, Nahar Shalom in Jerusalem is conducted by our teacher and rabbi, the Kabbalist,Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli.
For those who live outside of Israel, who wish to provide a name or names for Pidyon Hanefesh and for inquiries about the amount of the donation for Pidyon Hanefesh please send an email to our Jerusalem Office m622560@gmail.com or call our Nahar Shalom Yeshiva of the Kabbalists at 972-2-6249000 or 972-622-3001 Whatsapp 972-523325778
When calling within Israel 02—6249000 or 02-622-3001 & Whatsapp 0523325778
The Pidyon Nefesh is in accordance with the Kabbalah, with the Kavanot (intentions) of the Rashash
Sources of the Custom
Hints to the practice of “Pidyon Nefesh” can be found in the Book of Shmuel (Samuel), where Shaul (Saul) speaks with his servant. Shaul says they cannot go consult the prophet Shmuel (Samuel) because they have no money or gift to bring him. Some see this as a hint that already in ancient times it was customary to exchange trouble or a spiritual problem with something physical.
An explicit testimony to the custom of giving a redemption for a person’s soul appears in later generations and may be found in the writings of great rabbis, such as, Moshe ben Nachman, Chaim Palagi, Chaim Joseph David Azulai, Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, Shalom Sharabi, and others.
Pidyon Nefesh at the Nahar Shalom Yeshiva
The Yeshiva of Nahar Shalom was founded by the Kabbalist Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi and is devoted to the deep and broad study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism.
The yeshiva is heavily involved in spreading Torah among Jewish communities in Israel and abroad, with the goal of bringing closer the coming of the redeemer, the Messiah of our Righteousness.
At the yeshiva, “Pidyon Nefesh” ceremonies are conducted by Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli (ybdl"a), who performs the ritual with elevated mystical intentions and unifications, that increase Divine mercy upon a person and help save him from all distress and suffering.
