Page 102 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

100 · Hilchot Chukot Hagoyim Tzurba M’Rabanan

The Minhag of Kaparot

The Beit Yosef cites a dispute regarding the minhag (custom) of kaparot (slaughtering a bird as atonement
for our sins) that is practiced on Erev Yom Kippur as to whether it should be forbidden as chukot hagoyim.

r Beit Yosef, Orach Chaim 605:1 א:הרת ח״וא | ףסוי תיב . 24
There are places that have the custom to slaughter a bird הרפכל לוגנרת טוחשל םיגהונש תומוקמ שי
for atonement and this is also found in the responsa of the תכסמב יכדרמה .םינואגה תבושתב שי ןכו
Geonim. The Mordechai (Yoma 723) [also] recorded this בותכ הז גהנמו …גהנמה בתכ )גכשת 'יס( אמוי
minhag… This custom is also written in the Tashbetz, and םש בותכו )הכק 'יס ןטק ץ"בשת( ץ"בשתב םג
it is written there that one takes a male chicken for a male :הביקנל תלוגנרתו רכזל לוגנרת חקיל םיגהונש
and a female for a female. The Rashba writes in his responsa ןינעב )הצש 'יס א"ח( הבושתב בתכ א"בשרהו
“regarding this atonement that is done for the young boys
on the eve of Yom Kippur, it is an accepted custom in our םירופכה םוי ברעב םירענל ןישועש הרפכה
city. And even though I have heard from reputable people יפמ יתעמשש יפ לע ףאו ונריעב טושפ הז גהנמ
from Ashkenaz that all the Rabbis of their land practice this םישוע םצרא ינבר לכש זנכשאמ םינוגה םישנא
[custom], and I also heard that Rabbeinu Hai [Gaon] was ןכש רמאו יאה וניבר לאשנש יתעמש םגו ןכ
asked about this and said that this is the custom; nevertheless בותכו ונריעמ הזה גהנמה יתענמ הז לכ םע וגהנ
I have abolished this custom in our city, and it is written in ן"במרהש )א תוא כ"הוי ברע 'לה( םייח תוחראב
the Orchot Chaim that the Ramban forbade it because of :ירומאה יכרד םושמ ורסוא
following the ways of the Amorites.”

Based on these opinions, the Shulchan Aruch and Rema argue in practice whether kaparot is permitted:

a Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 605:1 א:הרת ח״וא | ע״וש . 25
Regarding the custom to perform “atonement” on the eve of םירופיכ םוי ברעב הרפכ תושעל םיגהונש המ
Yom Kippur by slaughtering a bird for every male and recite ,םיקוספ וילע רמולו רכז ןב לכ לע לוגנרת טוחשל
verses, one should abolish the custom. .גהנמה עונמל שי
Rema: There are some Geonim who record this minhag, and ובתכ ןכו ,הז גהנמ ובתכש םינואגהמ שיו :הגה
similarly many later authorities have written as much. It is תונידמ לכב ןיגהונ ןכו ,םינורחאה ןמ םיבר ותוא
our custom to do so in all these countries, and one must not .ןיקיתו גהנמ אוה יכ ,תונשל ןיאו ולא
change [it], since it is an ancient custom…

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