| Stories of the broken hearted |
Rivkah a mother of 10, Rivka lives and works in a local store. The wages, unfortunately, are far from enough to pay tent and a few of the bills. In her house the children are hungry. The refrigiator is literally empty.
Every evening the children..........>> |
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Pidyon Nefesh - the concept of donating money as a redemption for an endangered soul, is well established in Chassidic traditions. It is widely employed on behalf of those who are seriously ill, and for everyone on erev Rosh HaShanah, when Jews believe that every person stands before the Almighty to be judged for the coming year, for life or death, good health or illness, success or poverty, happiness or travail.
 The underlying concept is related to the concept of Pidyon HaBen, the traditional redemption of first-born sons. The ceremony takes place 31 days after the baby is born, in which the son’s father makes a ceremonial payment to a Kohen (a member of the tribe of priests). That practice is mentioned in the Bible, [Exodus 13:2] and originally entailed the payment of five silver shekels. Today, the redemption payment at pidyon haben ceremonies is generally in the form of five silver dollars or other silver coinage.
The Pidyon HaBen ceremony has its origins in the biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt, when the tenth plague consisted of the slaying of every first born Egyptian male. At the same time, the Bible tells us, the Almighty spared the lives of every first-born Jewish male in Egypt. Furthermore, the first-born of the Jewish people were originally designated for holy service, a role which was subsequently transferred to the tribe of Kohanim (priests) and Levites. Nevertheless, on both counts, all first-born Jewish males are under a special obligation to the Almighty, which traditionally is discharged by the redemption payment to the Kohen in the Pidyon HaBen ceremony.
The Chassidic concept of Pidyon Nefesh is exactly equivalent. In this case, the individual offers the redemption payment on behalf of himself and his family, to the Rebbe or Tzaddik, who in turn offers each individual his blessing and prayers for a Kesivah vachasimah tovah - that he and his family members be inscribed and sealed for a good New Year.
Pidyon Nefesh has the power to heal illnesses of both the body and the soul. The tzaddik intervenes on the spiritual plane through his prayers and his guidance.
The practice of Pidyon Nefesh for a sick person is mentioned in the Talmud: "Someone who has a sick person in his house should go to a Sage and ask him to request mercy for him" (Bava Batra 116a).
The concept of Pidyon Nefesh applies for a person who is sick, or facing some other crisis in their life. In particular, it applies to every Jew who is in need of redemption on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.
The practice is meant to signify our recognition, especially as we approach the High Holidays, that our individual fate ultimately lies in the hands of the Almighty. It is prominently mentioned in the writings of Rav Nachman of Breslav, and is widely practiced in various Chassidic communities to this day.
How much money should one give for Pidyon Nefesh? How much is your life worth? It is impossible to lay down a general rule, but each individual should look into his own heart for guidance as to the appropriate amount. But the donation must be sufficient to reflect our recognition that our lives ultimately lie in the hands of the Almighty, and the spiritual power of the prayers of the tzaddik on our behalf.
According to Rav Nachman, Pidyon Nefesh is the key to blessing, but the goal is not to put the entire responsibility onto the Tzaddik and simply wait for redemption to come. We must, at the same time, seriously resolve to make the necessary changes in our lives, correct our bad habits and strive to spiritually uplift our lives, by following more closely the holy teachings of our ancient traditions and beliefs.
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