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Mysterious Customs of the High Holidays

Kapporos

How is it done?

We are accustomed to slaughter a chicken which is called "gever" in place of a man ("gever"), and this is what they do; he (the agent, a wise man or an old man (Kol Bo) holds a chicken and places his hands over the head of the one who is atoned for and says "this in place of that, this instead of that, this is atoned for this, (acrostic for Chatach, an angel in charged of this, Maharil) and he places it on his head again and says...(verses from Ps. 105 and a verse from Job, If he has an angel one in a thousand to tell a person his way and be granted grace and say save him from going to the grave, I have found atonement, Maharil) and he should do this seven times, and then places the chicken over his head again and says, this goes to death instead of this, and he places his hands on the head of the one atoned for and says, you so and so son of so and so shall go to life and not to death. He does this 3 times and the atoned one places his hands on the chicken like "placing the hands" and he slaughters it immediately, similar to the notion of (Beitza 20a) "right after placing hands, slaughtering." (Ha-Oreh, 95, Shaarei Teshuva 299 in the name of Rav Sheshna Gaon.) Mishna Berurah: Taz: Don't do this part.

Then they send the chicken to someone who has not (Nechemiah) in order to do charity, as it says "and tzedakah shall save from death."

How many chickens are taken? What kind?

Maharil: Mahari Segel: A pregnant women should take 2 kaporos, one for the fetus...(Chayim Vital: 3, in case it is a girl or a boy, not more. We needn't worry re. twins.) he took a white one...(BACH: this was only if he happened to take one, but to look for one is the ways of the Amorites. So says the Chayey Adam) some give the chicken to the poor. Others give money in its place for the poor will not accept it, saying, he threw his sins on me.

Some took one for a house. Tanya 72. R. Hayim Vital: one for each person...male for male, f for female.. early in the morning

Why a chicken?

It is readily found in the house of a person, and it is called a "gever", but there are some wealthy ones who use a ram like the ram of Isaac. (Rav Sheshna ibid.) Maybe it avoids appearance of ritual slaughter. (MB)

Some in Egypt do this on Erev Rosh Hashana too. Some do it on Hoshanah Rabbah night. The Sepharadim of Israel and the Magreb grabbed this custom with two hands.

Did the Gemara know about this custom?

The Gemara mentions parpisa. Rashi quotes the Geonim who say they used to make a basket of lulavim (palms), fill it with dirt 2 weeks before Rosh Hashanah for each child in the family, and on the eve of Rosh Hashana they take it around their head and say 7 times, this in place of that.. and throw it in the river. Shabbat 81b

Why don't some do it?

Shulchan Aruch, 605: We should prevent doing kaporos.. (RAMA; we do it.) (old editions: it is a custom of foolishness)

RASHBA (responsa): Even though Rav Hay and worthy rabbis in Ashkenaz do this, I prevented this from our city.

Ramban: It is considered "the ways of the Emori" (Orchot Chayim)

The Yemenites, and Sephardim in London and Amsterdam don't do it.

Chayey Adam (Lithuania, 18th cent.): Some people think it is as important as Matza and that all of Yom Kippur depends on this and they... If I had my druthers, I would have them do it with money, like the Talmud says with seeds.. and they wouldn't come to slaughter improperly.