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Poultry and Penitence

by Rabbi Avi Finegold · September 6th, 2007

Animal Care, D'var Torah, Holidays, Jewish Culture, Jewish Learning, Judaism, Meat, Opinion, Prayer, Spirituality, The Carrot, The Jew, Yom Kippur

The recent controversy regarding the custom of Kapparot (see article in the Forward) made me realize that Kapparot is virtually the only remaining ritual that uses an animal sacrifice as an atonement for human sin. In Temple times, any inadvertent sin had a corresponding animal sacrifice that was intended to cause the sinner to contemplate the nature of sin and how this animal is now losing its life instead of the sinner. pretty powerful stuff, if your environment is agrarian and animals are preciously traded commodities. Today however, things are much different.

Kapparot should be a solemn occasion, reminding people days before Yom Kippur that they are being spared from the theoretical cause-and-effect relationship of sin. In exchange for this, We are asked to reflect on life and it’s fragility; how it can be taken with one quick stroke of the blade. Instead though, we have turned it into a spectacle; children running around, playing with the livestock and us having little to no concern with their welfare. Traditionally we are supposed to even refrain from eating these chickens, donating them to charity instead. Fun and pleasure is not the name of the game.

Rather than eliminating the custom, perhaps those who feel strongly attached to this vestigial sacrifice should realize its depth and turn it into the solemn preparation for soul-cleansing that it really is. Those who choose to use a fish or money or other suitable replacement should not feel left out either; think about the words being said during the ceremony, and understand that this truly is a kapparah-an atonement for one’s sins over the past year. Maybe even think about sins committed against all creatures over the past year, and understand that the chicken-fish-money only counts as a repentance if it serves to focus us to repent.

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7 Responses to “Poultry and Penitence”

chillul Who? Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
From what I remember, kapparot is a very recent custom with almost no textual legs to stand on. (Not to mention a somewhat disturbing literalization of vicarious atonement.)

One fellow in my shul growing up, one of the gabbaim actually, was so opposed to the shady, avoda-zara-dik practice that he just wouldn’t do it at all. Instead he would put aside some cash erev yom kipur morning for charity, and recite the line from Mishlei/proverbs, “Tsedaka tatsil memavet”. (Charity saves from death)
Rabbi Avi Finegold Says:
September 6th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I never denied the fact that there is a tenuous connection between kapparot and authenticity, in fact the article i linked to clearly points this out. The “disturbing literalization” that you refer to though, is in fact the basis for many of the korbanot that the torah lists.
Michael Croland Says:
September 9th, 2007 at 12:35 am
What irks me most about all this — both the public health issues and the tza’ar ba’alei chayim issues associated with kapparot — is that just about everyone acknowledges that it’s perfectly acceptable to give tzedakah instead of using chickens for kapparot. It’s not even like anyone says this practice is necessary!

I think the efforts to improve things, as discussed in the Forward article, are a huge step in the right direction. But I’d love to see a huge push from the powers that be in the Orthodox community for tzedekah instead of chicken-waving.
jabbett Says:
September 21st, 2007 at 10:05 am
If these folks improve how the live chickens are kept, so that it’s humane and no longer a public health issue, what’s wrong with shechting a chicken and giving it to the needy? If you’d rather people give tzedakah so a poor person can buy a chicken, then maybe it’s just a personal hang-up about actually seeing the blood required to make animals into food. Though I’ve never considered performing the ritual myself, I certainly echo Avi’s call to “realize its depth” vis-a-vis the taking of life.
Michael Croland Says:
September 23rd, 2007 at 7:10 am
jabbet,

For more info, see: http://www.jewishveg.com/schwartz/kapparot.html
Michael Croland Says:
September 24th, 2007 at 6:00 am
jabbett,

Also, apparently this is what conditions for chickens look like AFTER improvements were promised and presumably made: http://failedmessiah.typepad.c.....hicke.html
Michael Croland Says:
September 24th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Correction to my previous comment:

There is no reason to assume that the New York rabbis’ orders to improve conditions for chickens used for kapparot has anything to do with conditions in California.