Translation:Pidyon
Pidyon Nefesh (פדיון נפש) means "redemption of soul, body, spirit;" a ransoming from sickness or other hardships, whatever they be; may the Merciful one spare us. It can be compared to the Temple sacrifices; the obligatory or voluntary offerings. It is an old kabbalistic practice, to bring a considerable sum of money to a Tzaddik, and the Tzaddik prays for the donor or the one(s) for whom intercession is sought. The greater the Tzaddik, the greater the pidyon's effect. Many have experienced wondrous and miraculous healings and redemptions from this practice.
Rebbe Nachman performed Pidyons in his day; today a Pidyon can be performed by giving to his causes, namely publicizing his books and teachings or other charity; the donor can say the prayer himself, or have someone say it for him. For further information on Pidyon Nefesh in Breslov sefarim, see notes below.
מעות, ואת היקום אשר ברגליה:
צדק יקראהו לרגלו:
צדק מלכותא קדישא:
דינא דמלכותא דינא, שורש הדינים בינה, אני בינה לי גבורה, אין הדין נמתק אלא בשרשו, שלשה ידים בבינה:
יד הגדולה, יד החזקה, יד הרמה, ג' פעמים יד גימטריא שם של מ"ב, מ"ב שביצירה שם של אנא בכח, מ"ב שבבריאה שני פעמים אקי"ק, מ"ב שבאצילות הוי' פשוט במלואו ומילוי דמילוי:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁיֻּמְתְּקוּ הַדִּינִים וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת מֵעַל פלוני בן פלוני עַל יְדֵי פֶּלֶא עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא חֲסָדִים גְּדוֹלִים וְרַחֲמִים גְּמוּרִים וּפְשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ תַעֲרבֶת דִּין כְּלָל אָמֵן:
Translation:
[Rebbe Nathan writes:] (Behold, this we found in the handwriting of Rabbeinu, of blessed memory. It consists of paragraphs heads from the concept of Pidyon [see Likutei Moharan 180], with a short prayer at its end, and it is fitting to present it here." [In later printings this Pidyon is added at the end of Likutei Tefilot Vol. I, and in the front pages of many Odesser edition Breslov books]:
He [the Tzaddik] lays his hands on the money and says:
Ma'ot -- we'et [kol-]hayyekum asher be'ragleihem / Money ... and [all] that stands and sustains them on their feet: (an elipsis of Deut. 11:6)
Tzedek yikra'ehu leraglo / Righteousness and charity (that Abraham performed) met him wherever he set his foot: (Isa. 41:2; see Rashi)
Tzedek malkhuta kadisha / Righteousness is the Kingdom of Holiness.
Dina d’makhuta dina / Din (law/stricture) — the law of the Kingdom is the law. The root of strict laws and decrees is Binah (discernment): “I am Binah; Gevurah is mine.” (Prov. 8:14)
There are three "hands" in Binah: the Great Hand (Chesed), the Strong Hand (Gevurah), and the High Hand (Tiferet).
Three times YaD (14) = the gematria of the 42-Letter Name.
42 in Yetzirah = the name Ana Bekoach.
42 in Beriah = two times E-H-Y-H.
42 in Atzilut = Y-H-W-H with its filling and the filling-of-the-filling.
May it be Your Will … that the harsh judgements and decrees be sweetened from off of [(Name) son/daughter of (Mother)] by the Uppermost Wonder, which is great loving-kindness and total compassion without any harshness. Amen.
פדיון הוא המתקת הדינים,והוא מושיע מכל הצרות, כי עיקר הרפואה על ידי פדיון דוקא, כי "ורפא ירפא" (עם שתי התבות) מספר "פדיון נפש": (לקוטי מוהר"ן ח"ב תורה ג)
Translation:
Pidyon sweetens harsh decrees, and it saves from all afflictions, because healing is mainly by a pidyon specifically, because [Ex. 21:19] "v’rapo yerapeh/he heals completely" (with 2 added for the words) is gematria of Pidyon Nefesh. (Likutei Moharan II:3).
[Likutei Moharan 180 explains one should be careful to not be stingy, so that the dinim (since money is like dinim) should not stay by him, and one needs "extra chochmah" for this, to know how much one needs to give so that the dinim do not stay by him. See elsewhere (LE Pidyon #4) where Rabbeinu says one should regularly make a pidyons even if he has no sickness or affliction in his house, so that he should not come to affliction or sickness, God forbid.]