Kapparot; an ancient ritual and what it means to me.
If you google kapparot, or kapporos, you’ll get a handful of sites explaining what it is, and then a volley of well-meaning sites calling for its abolition. A superficial but accurate description tells us that it involves taking a chicken, hen for women and rooster for men, twirling over our head three times while saying a prayer, and then checking your clothing for chicken poo. The birds are not at all keen on the ritual, and a lot of people would love to see it abolished.
Here’s more about it.
WE do kapporos in the seven days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Chasidim who are zealous about this ceremony will get up early on the day before Yom Kippur, drive to a kosher slaughterhouse, and perform it there. In my area there are a few schoolyards that arrange for a few dozen chickens to be available for kapporos. Admission is ten bucks per bird, cash only. People use a few birds per family, since having eight kids can make this a pricey affair. The money paid can be directed to charity if we wish, as many do.
The idea behind this act is an exchange of lives, in essence. We go free to love our lives while this bird gets the axe. By holding over our head we make this exchange very real and legal. Holding an object, together with reciting a formula indicating our intent makes it legitimate. We consider…
