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 kaballistic 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 redepmtions 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.
(ראה זה מצאנו בכ"י רבינו ז"ל. והוא ראשי פרקים מענין פדיון [ע' בלקוטי מוהר"ו סי' ק"פ] עם תפילה קצרה בסופו וראוי להציגה כאן)
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 ellipsis of Deut. 11:6]
Tzedek yikra'ehu leraglo/ Righteousness and charity (that Abraham performed) met him wherever he set his foot": [Isa. 41:2 and see Rashi]
Tzedek malkhuta kadisha/ Righteousness is the Kingdom of Holiness:
Dina d’makhuta dina/ Din (i.e. law and stricture) -- the law of the Kingdom/country is the law. The root of the Dinim/strict law and decrees is Binah/discernment. "I am Binah, Gevurah/strength is mine" [Prov. 8:14]. A Din, a decree, can only sweetened at its root. There are three "hands" in Binah: The Great Hand (Chesed/lovingkindness), the Strong Hand (Gevurah/Strength), and the High Hand (Tiferet/Beauty). Three times YaD (i.e. 14, hand) is gematria of the 42-Letter Name; 42 in the world of Yetzirah is the name Ana Bekoach. 42 in the world of Creation is two times E-H-Y-H [do not pronounce the names]. 42 in the world of Emanation is Y-H-W-H with its filling [Yod-He-Waw-He] and the filling of the filling [YodWawDlt-HeAlf-WawAlfWaw-HeAlf] [Total=42 letters].
May it be Your Will ... that the harsh judgements and decrees should be sweetened off of [(Name) son/daughter of (mother's name)] by the Uppermost Wonder, which are enormous loving-kindness and total entire compassion, in which there is no admixture of harshness at all. 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.]