Before his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Rebbe said: “I do not understand how tzaddikim make a pidyon and intercede on behalf of another.284It was customary to ask a tzaddik to pray for one in need and to give the tzaddik a small amount of money as a pidyon (redemption). The reason for this is discussed in Likutey Moharah I, 180. See also Tzaddik #181, #539.
When a person presents the redemption, the tzaddik must know in which court the person is being judged. If he does not know this, he may intercede and bring the redemption to one court while the person is actually being judged in another. He must therefore know precisely in which court the man is being judged, and what particular intercession and redemption are required by that particular court.
I know all twenty-four courts. I can appeal a case from one court to another, through all twenty-four courts. If I do not agree with the judgment of one court, I can ask that it be judged in another court.
Going from one court to another is certainly beneficial. No matter what the final outcome, the sentence is still delayed. Because of this delay, the sentence can be reduced because of some merit on the part of the defendant. Even if this does not help, I can still appeal directly to the King (see Tzaddik #242).
This takes great wisdom and effort, and no one else in this generation can do it. No other man has ever known how to do this correctly. It is a major skill to frame each petition in the precise number of words and to give proper respect to the King. For it is certainly impossible to send too many cases directly to the King ….”
The Rebbe also said, “I do not understand how they claim to make a redemption. This is impossible unless one knows exactly how the Kohen Gadol dealt with the Banished Goat.”286Leviticus 16:21-22. See The Aleph-Bet Book, Sweetening Judgment A94; cf. Proverbs 18:18.
קֹדֶם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר: אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים עוֹשִׂים פִּדְיוֹן.
Before his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Rebbe said: “I do not understand how tzaddikim make a pidyon and intercede on behalf of another.284It was customary to ask a tzaddik to pray for one in need and to give the tzaddik a small amount of money as a pidyon (redemption). The reason for this is discussed in Likutey Moharah I, 180. See also Tzaddik #181, #539.
כִּי צְרִיכִין לֵידַע כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה [כ"ד] בָּתֵּי דִּינִין.
There are twenty-four Heavenly courts.285Zohar III, 136b, 293a; Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Lidat HaMochin 2; Likutey Moharan I, 215; Likutey Halakhot, Birkat HaShachar 5:25ff.
כִּי כְּשֶׁמְּבִיאִים הַפִּדְיוֹן, צָרִיךְ לֵידַע בְּאֵיזֶה בֵּית דִּין דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ. כִּי אוּלַי הוּא עוֹשֶׂה פִּדְיוֹן וְהַמְתָּקָה הַשַּׁיָּךְ לְבֵית דִּין זֶה, וּבֶאֱמֶת הוּא נִדּוֹן בְּבֵית דִּין אַחֵר, וְעַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ לֵידַע בְּאֵיזֶה בֵּית דִּין הוּא נִדּוֹן וְלֵידַע הַפִּדְיוֹן וְהַהַמְתָּקָה שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַבֵּית דִּין.
When a person presents the redemption, the tzaddik must know in which court the person is being judged. If he does not know this, he may intercede and bring the redemption to one court while the person is actually being judged in another. He must therefore know precisely in which court the man is being judged, and what particular intercession and redemption are required by that particular court.
אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דִינִים וַאֲנִי יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת אַפִּילַאצְיֶע (עִרְעוּר) מִבֵּית דִּין לְבֵית דִּין, עַד הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דִּינִים, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁאֲנִי יָכוֹל לוֹמַר 'שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה לִי הַמִּשְׁפָּט שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין זֶה וַאֲנִי רוֹצֶה לָדוּן בְּבֵית דִּין אַחֵר'.
I know all twenty-four courts. I can appeal a case from one court to another, through all twenty-four courts. If I do not agree with the judgment of one court, I can ask that it be judged in another court.
וְכֵן מִבֵּית דִּין לְבֵית דִּין עַד כֻּלָּם. וּמִסְּתָמָא מוֹעִיל בְּוַדַּאי, כִּי עַל כָּל פָּנִים בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ נִמְשָׁךְ וְנִדְחֶה הַמִּשְׁפָּט, וּכְשֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ קַל יוֹתֵר הַדָּבָר. כִּי בְּתוֹךְ כָּךְ עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ הָאָדָם אֵיזֶה מִצְוָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל אֲנִי יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת "אַנְדֶענְסֶענְיֶא" דְּהַיְנוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ הַדָּבָר לְהַקֵּיסָר בְּעַצְמוֹ.
Going from one court to another is certainly beneficial. No matter what the final outcome, the sentence is still delayed. Because of this delay, the sentence can be reduced because of some merit on the part of the defendant. Even if this does not help, I can still appeal directly to the King (see Tzaddik #242).
וְזֶהוּ מְלָאכָה גְּדוֹלָה וְחָכְמָה גְּדוֹלָה. זֶה אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ שׁוּם אֶחָד בַּדּוֹר. וְגַם לֹא יָדַע עֲדַיִן מִזֶּה שׁוּם אָדָם. כִּי הוּא מְלָאכָה גְּדוֹלָה לְהַכְנִיס כָּל הַבַּקָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ אֵיזֶה תֵּבוֹת בְּמִסְפָּר וְגַם לִתֵּן הַכָּבוֹד לְהַקֵּיסָר כָּרָאוּי כִּי בְּוַדַּאי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁלֹחַ הַרְבֵּה דְּבָרִים לְהַקֵּיסָר וְכוּ':
This takes great wisdom and effort, and no one else in this generation can do it. No other man has ever known how to do this correctly. It is a major skill to frame each petition in the precise number of words and to give proper respect to the King. For it is certainly impossible to send too many cases directly to the King ….”
גַּם אָמַר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲשׂוֹת פִּדְיוֹן, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת פִּדְיוֹן כִּי אִם כְּשֶׁיּוֹדְעִין אֵיךְ הָיָה נוֹהֵג הַכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל עִם הַשָּׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ.
The Rebbe also said, “I do not understand how they claim to make a redemption. This is impossible unless one knows exactly how the Kohen Gadol dealt with the Banished Goat.”286Leviticus 16:21-22. See The Aleph-Bet Book, Sweetening Judgment A94; cf. Proverbs 18:18.