Lucas Delgado
Kapparot is a customary atonement ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur. The ritual involves either swinging a chicken or money over a person's head three times while reciting a prayer to transfer their sins. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the hungry, while the money is donated to charity. While some Jews find this ritual an important part of their religion, others disagree with the use of chickens, believing it to be cruel and unnecessary.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the ritual | Kapparot |
| Who performs the ritual | Practiced by some Orthodox Jews |
| Occasion | Eve of Yom Kippur |
| Purpose | To transfer the sins of the person |
| Objects used | Money or chicken |
| What happens to the chicken after the ritual | Slaughtered and donated to the hungry or eaten on Sukkot |
| Direction of movement | Circular motion |
| Number of times the ritual is performed | Three times |
| Animal cruelty | Violates the principle of Tza'ar ba'alei chayim (suffering of living creatures) |
| Origin | Mentioned for the first time by Amram ben Sheshna of Sura Academy in Babylonia in 670 |
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What You'll Learn
The prayer of Kapparot
Kapparot is a customary atonement ritual practised by some Orthodox Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. The prayer is more than 1,000 years old, and those who perform it wave a chicken or money over their heads three times while reciting a prayer. The chicken or money is then donated to charity.
The prayer is said to transfer the sins of the person onto the chicken or money. The Hebrew word for "man" and "rooster" is the same, and so a rooster may substitute as a religious and spiritual vessel in place of a man. The prayer is said to cover or blot out sin.
The prayer is as follows:
> Children of man who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in misery and chains of iron—He will bring them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and will sunder their bonds. Foolish sinners, afflicted because of their sinful ways and their wrongdoings; their soul loathes all food and they reach the gates of death—they cry out to the Lord in their distress; He saves them from their afflictions. He sends forth His word and heals them; He delivers them from their graves. Let them thank the Lord for His kindness, and [proclaim] His wonders to the children of man.
The chicken is then slaughtered and given to charity for consumption during the pre-Yom Kippur meal. However, some people are opposed to the use of chickens in this ritual, believing it to be cruel and unnecessary.
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Animal cruelty concerns
Those who oppose the use of chickens in Kapparot cite the Jewish commandment of tza'ar ba'alei chayim, which bans causing animals unnecessary suffering. They argue that the ritual violates this principle and causes distress to the chickens. In addition, there have been reports of chickens being mistreated and abandoned during Kapparot operations, with some starving and dehydrated chickens rescued by animal welfare organisations. In one case, an Orthodox Jewish man from Brooklyn was charged with animal cruelty for the drowning deaths of 35 chickens used in the ritual.
Proponents of the ritual argue that it is an ancient tradition that is integral to their religious beliefs and should be protected under freedom of religion laws. Some also claim that the chickens are handled gently and carefully during the ritual to minimise any pain or distress. However, even this gentle treatment has been criticised, with some arguing that any form of swinging is unnecessary and cruel.
As a result of these concerns, alternatives to using chickens in Kapparot have been suggested. Some people substitute money for the chicken, waving it over their heads and then donating it to charity. This alternative is supported by some rabbis and Jewish animal rights organisations, who believe that using chickens is a violation of the principle of tza'ar ba'alei chayim.
Despite the controversy and animal cruelty concerns, the practice of using chickens in Kapparot continues among a minority of Orthodox Jews, with many defending it as a sacred and traditional ritual. However, it has also led to divisions within the Jewish community, with some rabbis and Jewish animal rights organisations picketing public observances of the ritual.
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Religious interpretation
The practice of swinging a chicken is called Kapparot, a customary atonement ritual practised by some Orthodox Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. The ritual involves swinging a live chicken over one's head while reciting a particular prayer. The prayer is said to be over a thousand years old. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the hungry or eaten on Sukkot.
The word Kapparot (כפרות) in Hebrew means "atonement" and comes from the Semitic root "k-p-r", which means "to cover", with the derived meaning being one of covering or blotting out sin. The ritual is said to transfer one's sins to the chicken, with the belief that the chicken will absorb the sins and the person will escape divine punishment.
The origins of Kapparot are traced back to the 7th century, with the first mention of the practice by Amram ben Sheshna of Sura Academy in Babylonia in 670. Sheshna suggested that the practice derived from an ancient ritual where a goat bearing the sins of the people was sent into the wilderness to die. After the destruction of the Temple, Jews were prohibited from practising this ritual, and Sheshna proposed that Kapparot was a convenient workaround with another animal. The Hebrew word "gever", which means both "man" and "rooster", further supported the idea that a rooster could be a substitute for a man in this ritual.
Over the centuries, the ritual gained support from various rabbis and Jewish communities, including the Ashkenazi Jews and Hasidim of Eastern Europe. However, it has also faced opposition from rabbis and Jewish animal rights organisations due to concerns about animal cruelty and its resemblance to non-Jewish rites.
Today, the practice of Kapparot continues to divide Orthodox Jews, with some defending it as a religious freedom while others advocate for alternatives, such as using money instead of chickens, to avoid causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
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The slaughter of the chicken
However, the slaughter of the chicken has also been a source of controversy and division among Orthodox Jews. Some people substitute money for the chicken in the ceremony, as they believe that using a chicken is inhumane and violates the Jewish commandment of tza'ar ba'alei chayim, which bans causing animals unnecessary suffering.
In 2005, a number of chickens used in the Kapparot ritual were abandoned and left to starve in Brooklyn, New York. This incident led to the rescue of the chickens by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the charging of an Orthodox Jewish man from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with animal cruelty for the drowning deaths of 35 chickens. Jewish animal rights organizations have since picketed public observances of animal Kapparot, particularly in Israel.
Despite the controversy, proponents of the animal Kapparot ritual in the United States argue that it is constitutionally protected as an exercise of freedom of religion.
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The origin of the ritual
The ritual was first mentioned by Amram ben Sheshna of Sura Academy in Babylonia in 670 and later by Natronai ben Hilai of the same academy in 853. According to Joshua Trachtenberg, the rite likely originated towards the end of the Talmudic period. Jewish scholars in the ninth century explained that since the Hebrew word "גבר" translates to both "man" and "rooster", a rooster can be used as a substitute for a man in religious and spiritual contexts.
The practice of Kapparot is believed to transfer a person's sins to the chicken, which is then slaughtered and donated to the hungry or poor. The ritual is meant to be a symbolic representation of the biblical concept of a scapegoat, where the sins of the people are transferred to an animal that is then sent away or sacrificed.
While the majority of Jews who perform this ritual use money instead of a chicken, a small minority still practice the ancient custom. The use of chickens in Kapparot has been a subject of controversy, with some Jewish animal rights organizations picketing public observances of the ritual due to concerns over animal cruelty.
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Frequently asked questions
The practice of swinging a chicken is called Kapparot (or Kapparos, depending on heritage) in Hebrew, which means "atonement". It is a customary atonement ritual practised by some Orthodox Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. The chicken is swung three times over the head while reciting a prayer, with the intention of transferring the sins of the person to the chicken. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the hungry.
The ritual of swinging a chicken is meant to transfer the sins of the person to the chicken, who is then slaughtered as a sacrifice. The prayer recited during the ritual is over 1,000 years old.
The practice of swinging chickens is controversial and has divided Orthodox Jews. While some Jews still perform the ritual, others have criticised it as cruel and unnecessary, and some Jewish animal rights organisations have picketed public observances of the ritual. Alternatives to using a chicken, such as using money, have also been suggested.
