What makes Judaism and the history of the Jewish people so fascinating and colorful is that it is so very, very old. One of these vestiges of the past is kapores or kapparot, "the chicken thing."
Whether one calls it religion, custom or mysticism is not really important. Kapores is still carried out in various forms by many Jews depending on whether they trace their roots to a place where the custom was popular. Kapores probably goes back to about the 9th century C.E. and was practiced almost exclusively by Ashkenazi Jews. It is not mentioned in the Talmud at all.
What is it?
Kapores is a custom carried out before Yom Kippur. Some do it in the days preceding Yom Kippur, others on the night evening before or in the early morning of the day preceding the Holy Day. It is observed by both men and women. Each man takes a live rooster, and each woman takes a hen. Pregnant women take both a rooster and a hen since they may give birth to a male. Preferably the chicken should be white. Some authorities say that one should not search out a white chicken, but if there is a choice, a white one should be chosen. Why? Because in Isaiah it says. "And if your sins be like scarlet, they shall become as white as snow."
Various selections are recited from Psalms and from the Book of Job. Prayers are also recited. The chicken, which is alive, is taken in the right hand and moved in a circular motion around the head three times. While holding the bird, the incantation is said, "This is my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This chicken shall meet its death, but I shall find a long and pleasant life of peace"
The custom was that the chicken was then slaughtered and given to the poor. If a fowl was not available, the custom was to do the same thing with money which was then given to charity. Similar to many charitable gifts today, the practice was often that the coin should be a multiple of eighteen or chai, meaning life.
Some Rabbis Condemn It
The practice of kapores has created a certain amount of controversy amongst rabbinical scholars. The Ramban, also known as Nachmonides who lived from 1195 to 1270 CE criticized it as a supersticious practice of the Emorites, one of the neighboring pagan peoples to Israel. Later Rabbi Joseph Karo (1488 - 1575 CE) also criticzed the practice in the Shulchan Aryuch (Code of Jewish Law). While there have been communities that do not practice the custom, many of the Rabbinical authorities did support it and encouraged its practice. Despite this controversy, kapores is practiced by many in both Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities.
The Mystical Origins
The origins of kapores are unclear, but it was probably developed as a substitute for sacrifices which were no longer possible with the destruction of the Temple. Animals that had been used for sacrifices in the Temple could no longer be used for similar purposes outside. Chickens are used in kapores because they were not acceptable as sacrifices in the Temple. Kapores was not intended as a sacrifice.
The influence of Kabbalah gave the custom much of its mystical aura. There is some opinion that kapores is related to the use of a scapegoat in Temple times on which the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) placed the sins of the Children of Israel before sending the goat out to its death.
The reality is that there is no magic in kapores which transfers a person's sins to the chicken. Even in the days of the Temple, sins were not magically transferred to an animal. The entire purpose of kapores is to create an experience that inspires a person to teshuvah , that is to return to G-d and to repent. All the sacrifices -- and chickens -- in the world will not result in forgiveness, unless teshuvah takes place.
