Pidyon Nefesh

For our video on Pidyon Nefesh see: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f81eFOFlqMIZzCfX3ICI-eQIxx5EVOj_/view

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 rabbi regarding 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".

For our full article on Pidyon Nefesh, see: https://www.nahar-shalom.org/articles/segulot/pidyon-nefesh-ransom-of-the-soul