What is the “Tikkun Haklali”?

When the world was created, God, also called “Ein Sof” (literally without end, infinite), created an intricate mystical system referred to in the Kabalah as the Ten Sefirot. The Sefirot serve as the channels through which the world was created and is continuously sustained through the constant revelation of God’s light.
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Because the light of God is without end, if not properly filtered it would be impossible for us to exist within it, as physical reality cannot exist within a context of God’s light.
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One way of understanding this, is to imagine you were staring strait into the heart of the sun. Without the proper equipment to filter and reduce the awesome light, you could lose your vision forever.
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So too with the light of the infinite…

God’s purpose in creating the world was so that we would have an ongoing relationship with Him. In order for that to be possible, He had to “reduce” His light. The Ten Sefirot serve as filters through which his light could come into the world, with the necessary borders so that our sustained existence could be possible. These ten forces make it possible for us finite beings, to have a relationship with the infinite, unknowable God.
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The Ten Sefirot are deeply embedded within our Jewish tradition.
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In the story of creation, god spoke the world into being. It is no coincidence that there are exactly ten sayings with which the world was created…
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At Mt. Sinai when we were given the Torah, we received first the Ten Commandments, which contain the entire written Torah within them…
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In looking deeper, it has been observed that there are actually ten pulse points running throughout the human body.
And a similar principle is true with the book of Tehillim (psalms).

Kabbalists throughout our history spoke of ten chapters of Tehillim, which when read in a specific order, have the power to fix the ten sefirot within us and within the world, opening all our connective channels to the light of “Ein Sof”. By saying these ten chapters, we have the power to bring deep healing to our own lives, and to bring a general fixing to the brokenness in the world.
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Although Kabbalists throughout the centuries searched to find these ten psalms, they remained unknown until Rebbe Nachman revealed them more than 200 years ago.
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He explained:

“Many great tzaddikim tried to discover this remedy and labored hard to find it. Some had no idea at all of the true remedy. Others began to grasp it, only to be taken form the world before they could grasp it completely..”
(Sichot Haran #141)

He revealed to the world that when King David wrote the Psalms, he brought forth through them great spiritual awakenings, which relate directly to every individual, in whatever situation they may be. By reading these timeless words, we can be guided in our unique paths.
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According to Rebbe Nachman, one of the greatnesses of the Psalms is that they contain the ten songs through which all of existence was created, which sustain the ten pulses in our body which give us life. (For more about the ten healing songs, read about the sixth beggar who had no hands, from Rebbe Nachmans story of “The Seven Beggars”)
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He explained the great power that reading these ten Psalms have on the body and soul:

“There are places so fine and narrow that no remedy has the power to penetrate them except through the General Remedy (Tikkun Haklali), which injects healing into even the narrowest, finest places. First it is necessary to apply the General Remedy, and through this all the individual flaws will automatically be rectified…”
(Likutey Moharan I, 29)

In the presence of two witnesses Rebbe Nachman promised that he would bring great healing to all that would come to his grave in Uman and read these psalms:

“Bear witness to my words. When my days are over and I leave this world, I will still intercede for anyone who comes to my grave, says these Ten Psalms and gives a penny to charity. No matter how great his sins, I will do everything in my power, spanning the length and breadth of creation, to save him and cleanse him….”
(Sichot Haran #141)

It is a custom among many to read the Tikkun Haklali daily, and especially in times of hardship. For over 200 years Jews from all backgrounds and parts of the world, make the pilgrimage to Uman to give charity at the site of Rebbe Nachmans grave and to read these ancients psalms.