HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, the Rishon L’Tzion and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, has issued detailed halachic guidelines regarding the minhag of Kaparos ahead of Yom Kippur, ruling that money should be used instead of chickens in situations where there is a concern of tza’ar ba’alei chaim.
In a letter released during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, HaRav Yosef stressed the longstanding importance of the minhag of Kaparos, while warning that carrying out the minhag cannot come at the expense of halachic prohibitions.
His warning focused particularly on large Kaparos centers, where chickens can sometimes be kept for extended periods without adequate shade, food or water, or where proper halachic and veterinary oversight cannot be guaranteed.
“Someone who fulfills this mitzvah through the aveirah of tza’ar ba’alei chaim, we are concerned that he is not fulfilling the minhag at all, but rather violating the Torah prohibition of tza’ar ba’alei chaim,” HaRav Yosef wrote.
Accordingly, the Rishon L’Tzion ruled that when organizers cannot ensure that chickens will be properly cared for and that the Kaparos process will take place without causing unnecessary suffering, Kaparos should instead be performed with money that is subsequently given to tzedakah.
HaRav Yosef noted that his father, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, followed this practice during the later years of his life, performing Kaparos with money and declaring that the funds would be given to tzedakah.
Regarding the amount that should be used, HaRav Yosef said each person should contribute according to his ability, while adding that it is preferable to use an amount equivalent to the value of a chicken, which he placed at approximately 35 shekels.
The ruling is particularly relevant at large Kaparos operations, where thousands of chickens may pass through temporary facilities in the days leading up to Yom Kippur and maintaining proper conditions can become difficult.
HaRav Yosef concluded his letter with a tefillah that all of Klal Yisroel merit to be written and sealed in the book of the completely righteous for a good life and peace.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
2 Responses
Spot on Rabbi Yosef. In the olden days, family members would walk out to their yard, pick up some chickens, shlug them and then shecht them and give the meat/monetary equivalent to the poor. The modern practive of making chickens suffer for hours in the heat, handled by those who have no idea what they’re doing is most unfortunate. At the minimum, the oilam should drive out to the chicken slaughter house and do kapparos there, not transport the chickens to the human population centres. That would go a long way in preventing tza’ar balei chaim
Would love to see chassidim listen to a sefardic rabbi but thats a big fat unlikely