In the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah, tens of thousands of Jews, mostly Israelis, make an annual pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman, where Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried (d. 1810). It is a demonstration of devotion to their Rebbe, who promised that “if someone comes to my grave, gives a coin to charity, and says these ten Psalms [called Tikkun haKlali], I will pull him out from the depths of Hell!”

In another place, the Rebbe stated that “it makes no difference what he [the pilgrim] did until that day, but from that day on, he must take upon himself not to return to his foolish ways.”

The Tikkun haKlali (the general remedy) of Rebbe Nachman–that includes Psalms 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150–is of great importance to the Breslov sect of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. The recital of these Pslams is the keynote event of the pilgrimage to Uman. Its main purpose is to amend the damages caused by “wasting seed” (Genesis 38:9). The Tikkun, however, is believed to bring many remedies,...