Tonight, September 22, 2025, Rosh Hashanah begins, and it is very important on the eve of this great holiday to write a Pidyon Nefesh (PAN) – a letter to a righteous person with a request for a blessing and a report of a good resolution undertaken in honor of this day.
“This is a very ancient tradition to write a ‘Pidyon Nefesh’ letter to the Rebbe before Rosh Hashanah with a request for a blessing,” Rabbi Reuven Kaminezki, the emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, told our website. “PAN or ‘Pidyon HaNefesh,’ literally translated as ‘Redemption of the Soul,’ is a written appeal to a righteous person whose soul has left the material world.
On this day, it is customary to write such a letter to the Head of our Generation, the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It is very important to note that before starting to write the letter, one should perform Netilat Yadayim, the washing of hands, and men should also put on a gartel (prayer belt).”
When asking for a blessing for oneself or for anyone else, one should write the person’s name (their Hebrew name, if they have one) and the name of their mother.
For a non-Jew, the father’s name is usually mentioned instead of the mother’s.
The letter can be written in any language.
You can send your letter to: [email protected].
Or use the fax: +1 (718) 723-4444.
