The 3 types of Pidyon Nefesh

PIDYON NEFESH

1)The original  Pidyon Nefesh (times of Rishonim)

If someone ch"v  had a sick child or his children

died during or shortly after childbirth. The father would 

sell his child to another person. The reason for doing so

was in case the Gezaira was on the father to lose his

children, he was no longer considered the father. 

( a similar concept we do today by adding a name. 

2) The Kabbalistic Pidyon Nefesh mentioned in detail

in Sefer "Yosef Tehilos" (Chida) They take 160 silver 

coins (גמטרי' כסף = חסד)  count 17 of the coins and have 

Kavana for   the שם  אהוה .Then you count 26 have 

Kavana for the שם הויה . This procedure is done a few 

more times with different Kavanos at each count.

Afterwards, all the coins are mixed up again and a

special Tefillah is said.

3) The Chasidic Pidyon Nefesh The Kvittel with the

Bakasha ( Refuah, Zivugim,Parnasa etc.) and the

money which is given to the Tzadik.