The Custom of Kaparot
An ancient Jewish custom is to perform a Kaparot (Atonement-Substitution) before Yom Kippur. Traditionally and still widely practiced today, a chicken is held over the head of every person in the household, and formula is said asking the Creator to substitute the chicken in their place to absorb the severity of their transgressions. The chicken is then kosher-slaughtered and usually donated to a poor family for food. Many view this tradition as largely symbolic, but it does have the support of great Kabbalists, especially Ari'zal.
It has many deep explanations, but one very wise rabbi explained it beautifully. When the chicken is raised over the head and we say “This is in my atonement…etc.” a moment before it is slaughtered in front of us, the seriousness of our actions before God is awakened within us. One moment before the chicken was alive, now it is dead. We must take our lives and actions seriously, it is truly a gift from God and we own it to Him and our own souls to do the best we can.
When chickens are unavailable or undesired, many substitute a sum of money in its place. The money is waved over their heads and accompanied by a traditional verbal formula, then donated to charity.
Pidyon Nefesh
The Pidyon Nefesh or Soul Redemption is a prayer on behalf of someone who usually gives a sum of charity for its sake. The prayer and charity received are ideally said by someone of great spiritual stature. These prayers beseech God to remove the strict spiritual judgments and difficulties that rest on the person. Pidyon Nefeshot is done by many throughout the year but is especially done before Rosh HaShanah, which is the "Day of Judgement." The charity given alongside the Pidyon prayer serves as a personal sacrifice and accompanies the prayer with an act demonstrating true sincerity in one's intentions.
Like any sincere sacrifice, its amount should be substantial enough to be "felt" by the giver, according to their means and honest ability.
Rav Dror will be saying the prayers for all the Pidyon Nefashot given.
A few more words about the Pidyon Nefesh may be helpful for those unfamiliar with the concept. These prayers and charity are literally translated as "Soul Redemption," but they mean something very different from similar concepts in other religions. While in other religions, one's eternity and the afterlife are thought to depend on their soul being "Saved" or "redeemed," the Hebrew Pidyon Nefesh has no connection with this concept. The Pidyon Nefesh is a prayer aimed at removing spiritual difficulties that attach themselves to a part of our souls called the "Nefesh." The Nefesh is not the innermost Eternal part of our soul, but rather it's the part of our souls that connects with our body and what we use as we interact in the world. This world is not clean or easy, and spiritual challenges can attach themselves to us due to life in it. The Pidyon Nefesh is a means to remove some of those challenges and blockages.
There is also a longstanding tradition to recite Tikun HaKlali on Rebbe Nachman's tomb before Rosh HaShanah. Through your donation, a messenger will recite it here and dedicate it in your name to give you a share in this wonderful custom. The messenger will also pray for any requests you desire on the Tomb of Rebbe Nachman. Tikun HaKlali (the General Correction) is a collection of ten Psalms revealed by Rebbe Nachman that should be recited to serve as an act of devotion to God accompanied by repentance to fix the spiritual damage caused by one's past sins.
Rebbe Nachman once took a solemn oath: "If someone comes to my grave, gives a coin to charity, and says these ten Psalms (the Tikun HaKlali), I will pull him out from the depths of hell!". "It makes no difference what he did until that day, but from that day on, he must take upon himself not to return to his foolish ways."
These services will be available through the Emunah website for a limited time until the start of Rosh HaShanah.