Jewish Scene
Haredi group slams Kapparot ritual
Lihi Laufer
Published: 06.10.11, 08:13
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1. religous people = good people
eporue ,   europe   (10.06.11)
2. Could not agree more...
ex-frummie ,   johannesburg S.A.   (10.06.11)
perform the custom with money - see sefer Tomer Devorah concerning the requirement of proper treatment of animals.
3. Kaparot
NYC Girl   (10.06.11)
This is animal abuse by any definition, and the fact that it's cloaked in the guise of "religious ritual" only makes it more disgusting. That's why the religious fanatic knuckle-draggers, who take part in this barbaric practice, should be punished in the same way as anybody else who abuses in animal.
4. NOT A HAREDI ORGANIZATION
DAVID ,   NEW YORK   (10.06.11)
you can be certain that any group insisting that they are haredi is for certain NOT haredi. similarly militant feminist groups that insist they are "orthodox" or lobbies that insist they are "pro-israel" (j-street) are anything but orthodox or pro-israel. would anyone really listen to them if they told the truth??
5. This is an old islamic practice
Maximilian Teusch ,   Mauren, FL   (10.06.11)
except, they use their cojones instead of chicken.
6. It's sick, ancient and MUST be banned!
Talula ,   Israel   (10.06.11)
7. Ban this foolish custom
Israeli grandma   (10.06.11)
This primitive custom has been revived over the last 20 years. It is so much more acceptable to give money to charity than cause acute suffering to a sentient creature. Charity benefits somebody, chickens subjected to the Kaparra custom just suffer needlessly
8. disgusting peasants (end)
roxanne ,   haifa   (10.06.11)
9. 6. Shulchan Aruch
Morcechai ,   Manchester, UK   (10.06.11)
What has ancient got to do with anything? BTW this practice is clearly prohibited by the Shulchan Aruch "The custom of Kaparot ... is a practice that ought to be prevented."
10. swinging chicken over head: if it transfer its brain, then i
eporue ,   europe   (10.06.11)
will support it...
11. Witchcraft. Choose life is the only anti-curse medicine.
Josh   (10.06.11)
12. Religious people = No compassion for animals
me   (10.06.11)
Just like a lot of things, religious people are often far from religion. First they dress in their scrary dark suits - no mention of that dress code in the bible Religion has respect for animals, while religious people see live animals as pest or labor instruments.
13. Can you say ''voodoo"?
Nick Sporek ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (10.06.11)
14. #9 Ancient has EVERYTHING to do with anything
Talula ,   Israel   (10.06.11)
It's positively primitive and stoops to the lowest levels of human decency. Animals are not here to be treated like that – it's pure abuse – anyway you look at it. It is showing no regard for a chicken's life – who is anyone to do that? They wouldn't do it with a rattle snake or any other deadly animal – which shows what sheer and utter cowards they are – they use an innocent helpless chicken. And, on another point - (being a vegetarian) who is anyone to say how much a chicken should cost per kilo? Who has the right to price an animal's life? It's all too disgusting for words.
15. Barbaric Ritual
Yehudit ,   US   (10.06.11)
Killing chickens to take away your sins is barbaric. Tashlich is the better ritual because no animals are harmed in the process. All that is needed is a loaf of challah that the whole family can share in and a body of water to throw the crumbs in. Stop these barbaric medieval customs.
16. Cruelty to animals is no replacement for donating money.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (10.06.11)
17. #12
American Sabrah ,   Israel   (10.06.11)
I am religious and I own a dog who is part of the family. I love dogs and cats as pets but I prefer chickens and cows in my stew or casserole. I use money instead of chicken as part of the pre Yom Kippur ritual instead of chickens. I may not be a vegetarian but that doesn't mean I condone the maltreatment of animals.In fact, if anyone dared even to attempt hurt my sweet furry angel, I'd send that that heartless barbarian a one way ticket to the hospital in a heart beat.I don't agree with the idea of using chickens as kaparot but I respect them for it as long as the chickens are receiving the best care and not being abused in any way. I've seen animals,birds, wild and pets being abused in the most horrific heart wrenching way imaginable.Those who subject these poor creatures to such terror deserve to share the same fate. According to me, domestic violence and abuse towards children and animals is unforgivable.At least adults have the capability to defend themselves from their tormentors.There are disgusting immoral people in every religion,culture,and society. Like everyone else, they will be evaluated and judged according to their actions and deeds. Respect every life and you're life will be respected in return.
18. kapparot is not just a haredi practise
zionist forever   (10.06.11)
Many religious Jews worldwide practise the custom including my father who is no haredi. Alot of leftists hate everything to do with the idea of religion. They object to everything from religious Jews who have set up a table in the street where people can come and do teffillin - putting up notices in shopping malls advertising group seders for people who have nowhere to go at Pessach. I have a brother living in London where they are planning to install Shabbat traffic lights at an intersection near a synagogue and he works with somebody who is " officially " Jewish but doesn't practise and he thinks the whole thing is a stupid idea and there is no need for it. Back to the kapparot I think some of the problem some of these leftists have is its seen as a haredi thing and everybody loves to hate the haredi.
19. ohh come on they are just chickens!
Ester   (10.06.11)
20. Oy...Year after year the same politicaly correct pitch!
Keren ,   IL-BR   (10.06.11)
These chickens are kosherly slaughtered and after they are *eaten*. So,what's the big deal? This is and ancient custom and should be let alone. Come on! Those who don't like that,should not eat meat at all and shush.
21. antisemitism
(10.06.11)
trying to ban this religious ritual is another example of antisemitism along with calls to ban shechita and circumcision. These rituals are all important religious acts and calls to ban them are based on antisemitism and absolutely nothing else.
22. Fully agree
Daniel Breslauer ,   Gateshead, UK   (10.06.11)
Being chareidi myself, I only use money, and would never dream of using an animal to get rid of my sins. I'm also a lifelong vegetarian, by the way. And I must note I am a BT ("newly" religious), originally not religious.
23. #21- I agree.
Keren ,   IL-BR   (10.06.11)
24. Primitive and risible
Ric ,   Gosport, UK   (10.07.11)
I remember my grandmother olav ha-sholem telling me that her mother used to do this when Grandma was a child 100 years ago. She thought it was primitive and risible then.
25. No. 19 Ester
NYC Girl   (10.07.11)
So you think because they're "just chickens" they don't experience fear or pain? It's time for these religious fanatics to find another way to expiate their sins... and stop torturing innocent animals.
26. If it were killed in a non-kosher way it wouldn't suffer
Edward ,   Sydney, Australia   (10.07.11)
A quick twist of its neck will break its neck and ends its life immediately, as European farmers do. Or beheading it in one swoop. For those who think cutting its throat is humane, which method would you choose on yourself if you were forced to make the choice?
27. i thank you .... and the animals thank you ...
yael dvorah ,   north miami beach, f   (10.07.11)
the best thing i have read in years ... congrats to this remarkable Hareidi group for standing up for the beautiful Torah mitzvah of kindness to animals ... i have stopped eating kosher beef years ago due to the tragedy of factory farming ... ending with the hoisting and shakling horrors required in american and south american slaughterhouses ...i don't eat factory farmed chickens due to the extreme cruelty there ... even the factory farmed artificially inseminated dairy industry has become a genocidal nightmare for billions of baby calves that become the cruel and horrific veal industry ... none of these barbaric practices - of how the animals are treated while alive before shechting - are based on Torah values ... and are completely unkosher .... regardless of the hechsure or shechita involved ....
28. Not really Jewish
Norman Gellman ,   Rehovot   (10.07.11)
It’s rare that I agree with the ultra-orthodox but Kapparot was strongly opposed by some rabbis, among them Nahmanides, Solomon ben Adret, and Yosef Karo. They considered it a non-Jewish ritual that conflicted with the spirit of Judaism, which knows of no vicarious sacrifice outside of the Temple in Jerusalem Kapparot, was probably an import from a pagan perhaps Egyptian religious practice. One need not go as far as those scholars who see the Kapparot as originating in an offering to Satan in order to understand the many objections to this ritual. Kapparot follows the pattern of the scapegoat, a ritual of riddance, but comes too close to superstition in indicating that one may substitute the death of an animal for one's own life.
29. Who cares about animal cruelty? This is PAGAN
Charles   (10.07.11)
Ol' Moshe Ribbenu is probably spinning in his grave at how the word he wrote has been perverted/substituted with rites of polytheists.
30. Kapparot
Yitzchak ,   Highland Park,USA   (10.07.11)
Im pleased to see this action by Haredim groups. The next step for them to to take a deep honest look at modern schitah and realize how inhumane that is.
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