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G-d's tender mercies are over all His creatures." (Psalms 145:9)
"Here you are faced with G-d'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." (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, Chapter 60, Section 416)
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What does Kaparot symbolize?
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Here are a number of lessons which the Kapparot teach us:
a. The chicken (or money) used is given to charity. Before approaching G-d, and asking that He show us kindness, we show kindness to those he loves most—the poor of His nation.
b. As we swing the chicken over our head with the knowledge that it will soon no longer be alive, we are reminded of the value of our lives and the importance of using each minute to the utmost.
Click here for a video of the Rebbe discussing this lesson.
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If the kaparot ritual is causing more suffering than necessary, you may have a point. But it should be arranged so that the bird has no more suffering than necessary for slaughter.
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that is by taking other creatures' lives we remind ourselves that ours is valuable?! One would rather redeem than kill in order to stress the value of life.
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i believe that cruelty to any of the creator's creatures is a sin, more than negating, in the case of ritual slaughter, the effort to seek attonement.
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I am having difficulty finding any halakhic source for this. Maybe some kabbalistic writings, but they came much later.
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This custom is actually quite ancient. Rashi (Talmud, Shabbat 81b) quotes a Geonic letter describing that in Talmudic times this was done at a slightly different time with a basket planted with beans that was later thrown into the river.
While I am not sure of the exact time when chickens entered the picture, however the current practice, with its decriers as well as its champions, is mentioned in the works of the Rishonim and codified in the Code of Jewish Law (O.C. 605).
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I found this on YU's website:
Ramban (cited in Orchot Chaim, Hilchot Erev Yom HaKippurim no.1) rules that kaparot is a violation of darchei ha'Emori, the prohibition of following the ways of idol worshippers (Vayikra 18:3).
I have found many other similar statement that demonstrate conclusively that kaparot is not a Jewish custom, especially since it is not at all in Torah
Can you help me out here? Why is it not Avodat Zarah?
Chag Sameach.
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The custom dates back to the Gaonic period. The dispute regarding Kapparot can be found in the Code of Jewish law itself Orach Chaim 605:1 where we find that Rabbi Yosef Karo was against it, and Rabbi Moshe Isserlis (Ramah) was for it.
While it is true that the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman) was against it, others from the same time period (most notably the Rosh – Rabeinu Asher) did follow this custom.
There are a number of explanations as to why they do not consider it “Darechei Amori" - pagan ways. One of the explanations is that the purpose of kaparot , contrary to what some may think, is not necessarily to transfer one's sins onto the chicken (which would make it similar to idolatrous practices); rather it is to elicit thoughts of repentance by imagining himself receiving the same punishment as the chicken.
Additionally, the Aruch Hashulchan 605:4 explains that the problem of Darkei Amori was the practice of bending over backwards to only use only a white chicken.
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