Do you do kapparos? Why?

marina

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 12:47 pm

This here is the best way to do kapparos. Everything else is an easy cop out.

http://www.chabad.org/library/.....n.htm

Quote:

Moshe sat himself on a small stool, lit a candle, and began reading from the notebook, unaware that his "sleeping" guest was wide awake and straining to hear every word. The notebook was a diary of all the misdeeds and transgressions the tavern-keeper had committed in the course of the year, the date, time and circumstance of each scrupulously noted. His "sins" were quite benign -- a word of gossip one day, oversleeping the time for prayer on another, neglecting to give his daily coin to charity on a third -- but by the time Moshe had read through the first few pages, his face was bathed in tears. For more than an hour Moshe read and wept, until the last page had been turned.

"Yentel," he now called to his wife, "bring me the second notebook."

This, too, was a diary -- of all the troubles and misfortunes that had befallen him in the course of the year. On this day Moshe was beaten by a gang of peasants, on that day his child fell ill; once, in the dead of winter, the family had frozen for several nights for lack of firewood; another time their cow had died, and there was no milk until enough rubles had been saved to buy another.

When he had finished reading the second notebook, the tavern-keeper lifted his eyes heavenward and said: "So you see, dear Father in Heaven, I have sinned against You. Last year I repented and promised to fulfill Your commandments, but I repeatedly succumbed to my evil inclination. But last year I also prayed and begged You for a year of health and prosperity, and I trusted in You that it would indeed be this way.

"Dear Father, today is the eve of Yom Kippur, when everyone forgives and is forgiven. Let us put the past behind us. I'll accept my troubles as atonement for my sins, and You, in Your great mercy, shall do the same."

Moshe took the two notebooks in his hands, raised them aloft, circled them three times above his head, and said: "This is my exchange, this is in my stead, this is my atonement." He then threw them into the fireplace, where the smoldering coals soon turned the tear-stained pages to ashes

FranticFrummie

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 12:51 pm

Liba wrote:

greenfire wrote:

I don't think it fair to put a picture up of something we don't wish to see ... especially before yom kippur when I'm trying to stomach eating

I have spent the last hour trying not to be hurt by your words. That was a picture of my son and my husband. With them are two cute, healthy and calm chickens. There is nothing to turn a stomach or cause upset.

Saying you felt that way about my picture, I am hurt, and deeply.

I am sorry I posted the picture, both because it made you upset, but also because how upset I am right now.

That picture is of people I love.

I think it's a lovely picture. If only all kapparos could be so calm and holy.

DH is shechting in London right now, and he constantly has to fight for the chickens to be treated well. He's walked off the job before, because he couldn't stand the way things were being run. He'll have a fit if they don't give the chickens food and water, same thing if he sees anyone breaking a leg or wing by being careless.

I know it sounds funny to be both a shochet and an animal lover, but he is so dedicated to doing a mitzvah in the kindest, least painful way possible, with the most sensitivity to the animals. He gets up early, and won't daven until my two little chihuahuas have had their food and water bowls refilled.

greenfire

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 4:03 pm

Liba wrote:

greenfire wrote:

I don't think it fair to put a picture up of something we don't wish to see ... especially before yom kippur when I'm trying to stomach eating

I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way. Not only did I not mean to hurt you, I certainly had no idea they are your loved ones.

That being said I have the same reaction to my sonny boy when he tries to tell me what went on during kapparos & he is mashgiach there. Even that he was there makes me queasy.

My point in my sensitive stomach is that it's hard for me to eat this time of year - due to kapporos ...

You are right the picture in & of itself is harmless & even beautiful from the mitzva point of view & especially that it is your family. Please continue to shep nachas.

gmar chasimah tova - beruchim thiyu

faigie

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 5:21 pm

We dont use chicken, becuase the shulchan aruch says NOT to.
http://shulchanarach.com/ch/SAch604-605.htm

Shulchan Aruch Chapter 604:

The order of Erev Yom Kippur (ערב יום כיפור) – 2 Paragraphs

Note: The REMA is in brackets []

1. It is a Mitzvah to eat on Evev Yom Kippur and to have a lot of meals[1]. [It is forbidden to fast on that day even a fast for a dream. If one made a vow to fast on it, see 570:2]

2. We don’t fall on our faces[2] on Evev Yom Kippur. [Also, we do not say למנצח and מזמור לתודה. Similarly, we don’t say before daybreak a lot of סליחות (penitential prayers). But there are places where the custom is to say a lot of סליחות (penitential prayers). Everyone should go according to his custom. Regarding the saying of אבינו מלכנו on Erev Yom Kippur, there is an argument among אחרונים (later authorities). The custom of this province is to not say it unless Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbat where this is not said so you say it on Ever Yom Kippur, in the morning prayer.]

Chapter 605: The custom of כפרות on Erev Yom Kippur (1 Paragraph)

1. There are those who have the custom to do an act of expiation on Erev Yom Kippur by slaughtering a chicken for every male son and to say verses on it. One should not partake in this custom[3]. [However, there are some Ge’onim who write about this custom and most of the אחרונים (later authorities) write about it and it is the custom in all these areas. One should not change it since it is the custom and is well established. The custom is for a man to use a rooster and for a female to use a chicken. A woman who is pregnant should use a rooster and a chicken[4] since maybee she will give birth to a son. We select poultry for the children like it says “if your sins will be like crimson, like snow I will whiten them[5]”. The custom is to give the Kaparot to the poor or to exchange them with money and give that to the poor. There are places where the custom is to go by a cementary and to give a lot of charity. These are all beautiful customs. Some do the slaughtering immediately after they are finished. In addition, they rest their hands on it like a sacrifice and they throw the guts of the animal on roofs or in the courtyard of a place where you are able to take the birds from[6].]

Translated by Jay Dinovitser www.shulchanarach.com

[1] Mishna Brura: The Torah writes “and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth of the month in the evening”. To the novice, it seems that one should fast on the ninth of the month, which is Evev Yom Kipppur. However, the Rabbis through the tradition maintain that quite the opposite is true, it is a commandment to eat on that day. If the Torah wanted you to fast, it would have wrote “one the ninth of the month in the evening you shall afflict yourselves until the (next) evening”. But the Torah did not say this and it never explicitly says to fast on that day but instead said the fast is the next day, on The Day of Atonement.. The funny language of affliction is to show that G-d gives us credit for eating as though we fasted and afflicted ourselves.
[2] To say the prayer of תחנון (Takh-an-un).
[3] Some authorities claim this resembles witchcraft or pagan practices.
[4] M.B. If she has a son then the rooster will cover him. If she has a daughter then the chicken will cover both of them.
[5] I sort of miss the connection but I think the Hebrew word for “whiten” used in the verse, ילבינו is similar to the Hebrew word meaning “son”, בן.
[6] M.B: The chickens steal and the insides are the first place where the stolen food goes. This is symbolic of distancing ourselves from stealing.

greenfire

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 5:46 pm

seder kapparos - in english:

"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. If there be for a man [even] one interceding angel out of a thousand [accusers], to speak of his uprightness in his behalf, then He will be gracious to hims and say: Redeem him from going down to the grave; I have found expiation [for him].

This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my expiation. This chicken shall go to its death and I shall proceed to a good, long life and peace."