Pidyon Rashash – a Segulah for Hashpa'ot ve-Yeshuot

Pidyon Rashash – a Segulah for Hashpa'ot ve-Yeshuot

the Ari HaKadosh (may his merit protect us) revealed this powerful Pidyon Nefesh, and Rabbi Chaim Vital practiced it—performing this famous pidyon for himself twice a year—and wrote about it in his book: “This segulah has been tested and proven thousands of times.” But it was specifically the holy Rashash—Rabbi Shalom Sharabi—who taught how to perform this segulah properly and urged his students not to disregard it. The Rashash wrote that one should set aside 160 silver coins, recite special Kabbalistic tefillot, and donate these coins to talmidei chachamim who are “moser nefesh” (self-sacrificing) in their Torah study. 160 coins, corresponding to the numerical value of “etz” (tree), symbolize a person, who is compared to a tree—“etz hasadeh” (a tree of the field). Through this segulah, a person receives a Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul), as the judgment is transferred from the person to the coins, and the person receives a new Tzelem Elokim (the image of Hashem), in whose likeness he was created. Pidyon Rashash is quoted and mentioned in countless sefarim. Many renowned gedolim and rabbanim quoted and performed the famous Pidyon Rashash. The Sefer “Shemen Sasson” writes that whoever performs the Pidyon Rashash will undoubtedly live through the entire year. The Sefer “Sha'arei Rachamim” describes the Pidyon Rashash as a segulah received from Eliyahu HaNavi himself. Although this segulah possesses tremendous power at any time, it is especially potent after midnight—at Hatzot Layla. When the Rebbe of Ropshitz was ill, Ateret Tzvi wrote to him that he would perform this Pidyon for him after Hatzot and that “of course, of course, of course, you will merit a yeshuah.” In our challenging times, Klal Yisrael especially needs refu'ot, shidduchim, nachat, and parnassah. And although we know that not everyone is deserving of miracles, there is something that can come to everyone's aid. As soon as the Pidyon Rashash is performed, each person, with a new Tzelem Elokim, receives a new descent of Hashpa'ot Tovot (good influences). Every year, on the 10th of Shevat, on the yahrzeit of the Rashash, the talmidei chachamim of Kollel Hatzot perform this segulah, distributing silver coins to the students of the Kollel. They are the most worthy of performing the Pidyon, since they engage in Torah with Mesirut Nefesh (self-sacrifice). It has been passed down to us that during the time of Emperor Napoleon, the holy Chatam Sofer performed the “Pidyon Rashash” for all the residents of Pressburg. Although all the homes were destroyed during the war, not a single Jew was killed. It was truly a miracle. The holy Magid of Mezeritch performed the “Pidyon Rashash” for a respected woman who was seriously ill, and she miraculously recovered. When the holy Mekubal Rav Mordechai Sharabi was asked to pray for Jews who were very ill with a terrible disease (cancer), he performed the “Pidyon Rashash” for them and said: “This is a proven segulah.” The entire Seder of the Pidyon Rashash, together with the kavanot, can be found in the Siddur of the Rashash.   (based on material from the website—theyeshivaworld https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/promotions/1828802/pidyon-rashash-the-segulah-that-is-guaranteed-to-bring-your-personal-yeshuah.html)