The Custom of Kapparot in the Jewish Tradition
by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.
Every year, before Yom
Kippur, some Jews perform the ceremony of kapparot. The following,
in question and answer form, is a discussion of the ritual and its relation
to the treatment of animals.
What is kapparot?
Kapparot is a custom in which the sins of a person are symbolically
transferred to a fowl. It is practiced by some Jews shortly before Yom
Kippur. First, selections from Isaiah 11:9, Psalms 107:10, 14, and 17-21,
and Job 33:23-24 are recited; then a rooster (for a male) or a hen (for
a female) is held above the person's head and swung in a circle three
times, while the following is spoken: "This is my exchange, my
substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death,
but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace." The hope is
that the fowl, which is then donated to the poor for food, will take
on any misfortune that might otherwise occur to the one who has taken
part in the ritual, in punishment for his or her sins.
What is the history of this rite?
Kapparot is not mentioned in the Torah or in the Talmud.
The custom is first discussed by Jewish scholars in the ninth century.
They explain that since the Hebrew word gever means both "man"
and "rooster", punishment of the bird can be substituted for
that of a person.
According to the Encyclopedia Judaica (Volume 10, pages 756-757), several
Jewish sages strongly opposed kapparot. Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet
, one of the foremost Jewish scholars during the 13th century, considered
it a heathen superstition. This opinion was shared by the Ramban
(Nachmanides) and Rabbi
Joseph Caro, who called it "a foolish custom" that Jews
should avoid. They felt that it was a pagan custom that mistakenly made
its way into Jewish practice, perhaps because when Jews lived among
pagans this rite seemed like a korban
(sacrifice) to some extent
However, the Kabbalists (led by mystics such as Rabbi
Isaac Luria and Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) perceived in this custom
mystical significance which strongly appealed to many people. This greatly
enhanced the popularity of the kapparot ritual down to the present day.
Why did some Jewish sages oppose kapparot ?
Some Jewish leaders felt that people would misunderstand the significance
of the ritual. The belief that the ceremony of kapparot can transfer
a person's sins to a bird, and that his or her sins would then be completely
eradicated, is contrary to Jewish teachings. For, if the ritual could
remove a person's sins, what would be the need for Yom Kippur, the Day
of Atonement?
The Mishneh Brurah, an
eminent contemporary commentary on Rabbi Joseph Caro's classical codification
of Jewish law, explains the significance of the ritual. Judaism
stresses that a person can't obtain purity from sin, and thus obtain
higher levels of perfection, without repenting. Through God's mercy,
we are given the Divine gift of repentance, so that we might abandon
our corrupt ways, thereby being spared from the death that we deserve
for our violation of the Divine law. By substituting the death of a
fowl, one will (hopefully) appreciate G-d's mercy and be stirred to
repentance. By no means, however, does the ritual and the slaughter
of the bird eradicate one's misdeeds, even though the bird is donated
to the poor.
What are more recent objections to this ceremony?
The birds may suffer while they are handled. In some places in Israel
and the United States, chickens are sold on street corners for this
ceremony, and not every merchant takes proper care of his chickens during
this period. The birds are frequently cooped up in baskets, and some
merchants neglect to give them sufficient food or water.
Hence, while the Jewish tradition is filled with concepts, prayers,
and actions during the Rosh
Hashanah-Yom Kippur period that relate to the importance of rachamim
(compassion and sensitivity), the message of kapparot to those who take
part and those who view it (including children) may be just the opposite
in some cases, a lesson of insensitivity to the feelings of other living
creatures.
How should Jews who are concerned about the treatment of animals
respond to this issue?
Jews who are concerned about the treatment of animals should try to
engage courteously and respectfully with Jews who perform kapparot.
It should be recognized that they are performing what they regard as
an important religious act. Some of the points that can be brought up
include:
1. There is a substitute ceremony that is widely practiced by many
Torah-observant Jews. Money, perhaps equal to the monetary value of
the fowl, is substituted for the rooster or hen. The money is put into
a handkerchief which the person swings three times around his or her
head while reciting a modified saying :"This money shall go to
charity, and I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace." Hence,
the heightened sense of repentance can be kept, and perhaps even enhanced,
since no bird has to lose its life or suffer for our sake. This substitution,
which maintains the tradition of giving charity (the substituted money)
to the poor, has been endorsed by many rabbis and is mentioned in many
prayer books, including the highly regarded Artscroll Siddur.
2. We should attempt to increase the knowledge of Jews with regard
to Judaism's beautiful and powerful teachings with regard to showing
compassion to animals. The following are a few examples:
Moshe Rabbenu, (our great teacher, Moses) and King David were considered
worthy to be leaders of the Jewish people because of their compassionate
treatment of animals, when they were shepherds. Rebecca was judged suitable
to be a wife of the patriarch Isaac because of her kindness in watering
the ten camels of Abraham's servant.
Many Torah laws involve proper treatment of animals. One may not muzzle
an ox while it is working in the field nor yoke a strong and a weak
animal together. Animals, as well as people, are allowed to rest on
the Sabbath day. The importance of this concept is indicated by the
fact that it is part of the Ten Commandments and by its recitation every
Sabbath morning by many Jews, as part of the kiddush ceremony.
The psalmist indicates G-d's concern for animals, for "His compassion
is over all of His creatures" (Psalms 145:9). And there is a mitzvah-precept
in the Torah to emulate the Divine compassion, as it is written: "And
you shall walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9). Perhaps the Jewish
attitude toward animals is best summarized by Proverbs 12:10: "The
righteous person considers the soul (life) of his or her animal."
In summary, the Torah prohibits Jews from causing tsa'ar ba'alei chayim,
any unnecessary pain to living creatures, even psychological pain. Rabbi
Samson Raphael Hirsch, an outstanding 19th century philosopher, author,
and Torah commentator, eloquently summarizes the Jewish view on treatment
of animals:
Here you are faced with God's teaching, which obliges you not only
to refrain from inflicting unnecessary pain on any animal, but to help
and, when you can, to lessen the pain whenever you see an animal suffering,
even through no fault of yours. (Horeb, Chapter 60, #416) In the same
section, Rabbi Hirsch indicates further how great our concern for animals
must be:
There are probably no creatures that require more the protective Divine
word against the presumption of man than the animals, which like man
have sensations and instincts, but whose body and powers are nevertheless
subservient to man. In relation to them man so easily forgets that injured
animal muscle twitches just like human muscle, that the maltreated nerves
of an animal sicken like human nerves, that the animal being is just
as sensitive to cuts, blows, and beating as man. Thus man becomes the
torturer of the animal soul, which has been subjected to him only for
the fulfillment of humane and wise purposes . . .
3. In view of the above, it can be argued that one way that Jews can
accomplish repentance and other goals of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
is by moving away from the unnecessary exploitation of animals. For
many of the values of this holiday period are more consistent with practicing
mercy toward all of G-d's creatures:
(a) Prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for God`s compassion during
the coming year are most consistent with acts of kindness to both other
people and animals. The following story reinforces this idea:
Rabbi Israel Salanter,
one of the most distinguished Orthodox Rabbis of the nineteenth century,
failed to appear one Yom Kippur eve to chant the sacred Kol Nidre Prayer.
His congregation became concerned, for it was inconceivable that their
saintly rabbi would be late or absent on this very holy day. They sent
out a search party to look for him. After much time, their rabbi was
found in the barn of a Christian neighbor. On his way to the synagogue,
Rabbi Salanter had come upon one of his neighbor's calves, lost and
tangled in the brush. Seeing that the animal was in distress, he freed
it and led it home through many fields and over many hills. His act
of mercy represented the rabbi's prayers on that Yom Kippur evening.
(b) Consistent with Rosh Hashanah as a time when Jews are to "awaken
from slumber" and mend our ways, using money for the kapparot ritual
shows that we are putting Torah teachings about compassion into practice.
(c) Acts of kindness and charity are consistent with God`s "delighting
in life" on Rosh Hashanah, since, unlike the kapparot ceremony,
it doesn`t involve the possible cruel treatment and death of animals.
4. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we should remind others that
kapparot is not biblically or talmudically ordained (as is tsa'ar ba'alei
chayim), that the custom arose at a later period in Jewish history,
that it has been condemned by many Jewish sages, and that the important
goal of increasing our sensitivity to the importance of repentance and
charity can be accomplished as well, and perhaps better, by substituting
money for a bird.
Sources: The
Schwartz Collection on Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights |