Reflections on Rosh Hashana 10/05
My religious beliefs (or lack thereof) have nothing to do with my intense love of my Jewish heritage. My mother, though she was an atheist, had grown up with orthodox parents and had developed a strong spiritual connection with her Jewish roots.I lived in Israel as a child briefly (from ages 5 to 7 1/2) and Hebrew was my first written language. Throughout the years, we celebrated the Jewish holidays, reciting the blessings and decorating the house (whatever we happened to call home that year, including our tiny converted garage in Tucson, Arizona, where we lived in the late 60's) with ornaments we made by hand for each occasion.At this time around the Jewish New Year, I suppose I should feel a sense of renewal and joy.But, living in the ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn, I dread it.This is the time, immediately after New Year's and before Yom Kippur, when crates of live chickens are delivered to store fronts, school yards, synagogues, and parking lots with makeshift tents. A sign saying "Kaporot" adorns the area along with the stench of fear and death. People line up to participate in one of the most barbaric acts I have ever personally witnessed. A live chicken is swung around each person's head 3 times then has it's neck sliced open to bleed to death. This procedure is repeated for each family who pays the fee. The blood, I'm told, represents our sins flowing out so that we may begin the new year with a clean slate. Our sins.It brings to mind an event I attended in the 80's at the Museum of Natural History. It was a seminar on Santeria (a cult combining Christianity and Yoruba or Voodoo, whose practices include animal sacrifice). The seminar was an entire week long, however I, along with a group of animal activists from Trans Species Unlimited, only attended the evening they were to discuss the subject of animal sacrifice.We entered the museum and interspersed ourselves with the rest of the audience, the majority of whom were Santerians. A panel of Santerian "scholars" including a psychologist, an anthropologist, a Santero (or Santerian priest), and an author/Santera by the name of Migene Gonzalez-Whippler sat on stage.There was music playing that was hauntingly hypnotic. I remembered feeling sad that people who created such beautiful music could participate in such a heinous practice as animal torture and sacrifice.After awhile, the music ceased and Whippler stood at the podium and greeted the crowd of about 500.As soon as Whippler began her opening speech, several Trans Species members (including Steve Siegel, the President of the organization) jumped up and unrolled huge posters of mutilated animals. As much as I could appreciate the sentiment, it seemed of little use to try to appeal to them on that level since most of the people in the audience were already practitioners of Santeria and it obviously didn't bother them. Whippler became infuriated and ordered the museum guards to immediately remove the protesters. Some in the crowd threatened the activists as they were escorted out of the auditorium.For those of us who had chosen not to take part in the poster activity, (there were a handful of us left, including Sylvia Sterling from the cable show "Animal Rights Forum" and Bill Strauss, an ASPCA attorney) Whippler set up strict rules.She angrily declared: "OK, since you people do not know how to behave, you will NOT be allowed to make any comments. I will only accept one question from each of you." We were instructed to line up in two of the isles and wait, in front of a microphone, for Whippler's permission to ask our one question each. People in the crowd were heckling and threatening us.When it was my turn, I stepped up to the microphone and said "I have a two-part question. The first part is: since religion is such a spiritual thing and we use things symbolically - for example, instead of cutting up a live person, Catholics use the host and the wine to represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ - why can't you cut open a peach, and let the juice that drains out REPRESENT the 'sin-filled' blood? That way you wouldn't have to hurt anything." There was a hush in the audience. No one said a word. I went on: "the second part of my question is: why do you use animals to represent our sins? Animals don't sin. Only people sin." Again, there was silence. I didn't expect an answer. I didn't even expect to change any minds. I just wanted to make people think. To plant some seeds.The barbaric and archaic ritual of Kaporot is no different from the brutal animal sacrifices of the Santerians.They are all the same. These people don't "get" it. As Professor Richard Schwartz points out in his piece entitled "The Custom of Kapparot in Jewish Tradition", if transference and subsequent expulsion of sin through the killing of an animal were possible, it would eliminate the need for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. There is no logical explanation why these practices should continue. It's time we abandoned this cruel, archaic practice, and returned to the true values and compassionate teachings of the Torah.Shana Tova,Rina Deych
THE CUSTOM OF KAPPAROT IN THE JEWISH TRADITION
By Richard Schwartz
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 [in Ashkenazic Hebrew or Yiddish, kappores or shluggen
kappores]?
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 written by the respected Chafetz Chaim
at the beginning of the 20th century, 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
God'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 Artscroll Siddur which is used in many Orthodox
synagogues.
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 Eliezer.
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, must be permitted to rest on the
Sabbath day.
The importance of this concept is indicated by the fact that it is inthe Ten
Commandments and by its recitation every Sabbath morning by many Jews, as
part of
the kiddush ceremony.
The psalmist indicates God'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 God'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.
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
Author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and
Mathematics and Global Survival, and over 100 articles at JewishVeg.com/schwartz.
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Phone: (718) 761-5876 Fax: (718) 982-3631 E-mail:
rschw12345@aol.com
