Top Rabbi Urges Replacing Chickens with Charity in Pre-Yom Kippur Ritual

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas party and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, has called on religious Jews to forgo the traditional "Kapara" ritual using live chickens if there is a risk of animal cruelty. Instead, he recommended using money that can then be donated to charity.

In a letter, Rabbi Yosef highlighted that at public "Kapara" sites, birds are often kept in poor conditions without shade, water, or food, and slaughter frequently lacks proper veterinary and religious oversight. He stated that performing the ritual with such violations negates its purpose and breaks the Torah prohibition against causing suffering to living creatures.

The rabbi suggested an amount of 35 shekels per person as a guideline, equivalent to the cost of a chicken, while noting individuals can donate according to their means. He emphasized that the obligation to protect animals from suffering is a Torah commandment.

Rabbi Yosef acknowledged the historical significance of the "Kapara" custom but stressed that adherence to tradition cannot justify breaking the law. He cited his father, the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who in his final years opted to perform the ritual using money.

"Kapara," meaning "atonement," is an ancient Jewish rite performed on the eve of Yom Kippur. Traditionally, a live chicken or money is swung over a person's head while reciting a prayer asking for sins to be atoned. The custom has faced mixed rabbinical opinions, with some medieval authorities criticizing it for resembling pagan rituals.