By COLlive reporter
Two Chabad rabbis in Israel are at odds over easing the costs of the Kaparos ritual of using chickens to atone for sins before Yom Kippur.
The debate began when Rabbi Boruch Boaz Yurkowitz, rabbi of the Chabad neighborhood in Lod, suggested a reduction in the amount of chickens used for families with financial difficulties.
The accepted Chabad custom is to use a rooster for each of the males in the family, and a chicken for each of the females. A pregnant woman uses a chicken for herself, plus a rooster and a chicken for the unknown gender of the child.
But Rabbi Yurkowitz said that the expropriation of prices of chicken by local merchants during this season warrants an amendment: Those on a tight budget can use a single rooster and a single chicken for all members of their household.
He told COL.org.il that he based his ruling on the opinion of the Alter Rebbe/ in his Shulchan Aruch that when prices of fish are skyrocketing, one should not purchase them for Shabbos until their rate is lowered.
“Once people had chickens in their garden and would eat the chicken with which they did kaparos, so for them it wasn’t a big expense,” he said on Tuesday. “Kaparos can also be done on ornamental fish.”
An opposing opinion was quick to be offered by Rabbi Yochanan Gurary, Chief Rabbi of the city of Chulon and an expert and author of books about Chabad customs.
He said the comparison to Shabbos fish was wrong, since the kaparos custom is intended to be a substitute for one’s life. While swinging the chicken over one’s head, the following is said: “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement.”
Rabbi Gurary, in a public letter sent to COL.org.il, added that the price of chickens “is not that great” compared to the overall costs of the Tishrei holidays for a standard frum family.
“Whats more is that many families surely spent (money) on summer ‘luxuries,’ on trips and vacations in amounts that can come to thousands of shekels, and now were talking about a relatively small amount,” he wrote in a letter.
“To go out and announce exemptions, instead of strengthening the customs that were kept, I think that with this he is weakening” the yiras shamayim (or piety) of chassidism, he added, and called on the Chabad public to continue keeping the ritual in the same manner as before.
thats why we have rabbanim, to pasken in every situation based on the matzov.
Since I moved to EY six years ago, I have found Rabbi Yurkowitz to be an excellent Rov who always finds time to answer Shailos in a a caring and compassionate manner. He always considers the situation of the person asking and is machria the shaila according to Halacha without giving one size fits all answers. Without mentioning names, several other rabbonim I have called have been too busy to actually listen to a shailah and in the end just tell you what it says in the book. I don’t need a Rov to tell me what it says in… Read more »
Why can’t this be a simple discussion – if you can’t afford it, use one chicken – but if you can, pay the money,it is going to tzedaka anyway! You are doing the right thing either way.
Sad to say, but the minhog has become commercialized and trivialized. Here where each chicken costs at least $13, kapporres are 1) held 4(!) days before Yom Kippur; 2) in the afternoon; and 3) there is no shchiteh on spot. Furthermore, 4) instead of taking place in a serious and respectful manner, the whole event appears to be circus-like and is like a big social event. For this a family should shell out a fortune?? It’s meant to be symbolic and this requirement may also be met with one rooster and one hen for all family members.
A native Montréaler, of course! From such fine parents and a fine family!
Divrei Elokim Chaim!!
When I grew up in the in the seventys and the eightys we had a big family, so my father would use 1 male and 1 female and my father was a very frum and erlicha yid, and he always told us if you don,t have don,t spend, rabbi yurkovitch your right on,
BS”D
I am in a very similar situation.
I called the place (Chabad) running the kapores.
My minhag has always been to do it ON EREV YOM TOV. That’s when the price raises to $26 (otherwise it’s $18).
They are being very accommodating. IMHO. Better to stick with tradition, and get a “discount”, then not do it at all.
A more practical question – is it preferable to have one chicken per person and do it early during the cheap kaporos, or have one male and one female for the family and do it erev yom kippur, more in line with the time stated in the Alter Rebbe’s siddur?
Tefilin is over priced can you make that all chabad should wear only one please I have eight boys , if you can also let us send our kids to public school it will save me 90000 dollars a year,
The Alter Rebbe paskens very clearly in the Siddur: “the kapporos should be according to the number of people in the household; a male for a male, a female for a female. For a pregnant women we shecht 3: one for her, and a male and a female for the [unkown gender of the unborn] child”. If there is a difference of opinion between the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch and the Alter Rebbe’s Siddur, we follow the ruling in the Siddur, because it was authored after the Shulchan Aruch. The Rebbe writes this in (the fourth paragraph of) his foreword… Read more »
I think Rabbi Gurary’s point about people spending money on luxuries over the summer, was meant to say that not everyone is in such financial straits, which is pretty much true. Rabbi Gurary also says that a general allowing people to use 2 chickens per family, is lax, since not everyone needs that kulah.
Is in touch with reality.
yasherkoiach Rabbi Yurkovitch
G-d bless you.
it says clearly in S’a harav that you can you can use one rooster for all ales and one hen for all females. so a pregnant woman can use one rooster from her husband and one hen.
It is interesting to note that the Alter Rebbe is the only Posek NOT to mention using a fish for Kaporos. So while i join everyone else lauding Rabbi Y for taking a stand for large families like mine, i hope he can clarify his suggestion to use an ornamental fish (what is that, a fish in a fishtank?).
25 euro!
10 children at $26 a chicken in California on erev Yom Hakipurin, plus my self and my wife who is pregnant. How can one get a chicken for each member of the family? Thank you for a Rav that understands.
I was in Berlin with him and rabbi ehrenberg and he really led us with his vast knowledge of Chabad customs. We should all learn from his ways.
use the well known kaporo solution two chickens male and female in a helicopter making rounds over New york for all the yidden in new york. or better yet the turning propeller may suffice!
BTW the Alter Rebbe brings both minhagim in the Shulchan Aruch, but the common Chabad minhag in the Siddur
i find the “shloging over kapporos” disheartening. they can have their opinions while RESPECTING the other opinion since these are two big talmidei chachomim , their opinions are both brought down etc., both worthy and valid as already mentioned above
what is wrong with one for all the males and one for all the female?????that what we always did and i am lubavitch all my life .in France in beth rivkah one was used for all the sem and by the boys in y also
The cost of chickens in Toronto this year is $22.
With no other options for chickens. but all the chickens go to
Tomechai Shabbos.
In the 60’s and 70’s one bochur stood on a chair holding one chicken, and almost 50 Bochrim stood around him, and we all said Zeh Chalifasaynu together on eastern parkway across of 770.
BH there is a Rav out there who seems to really care…And thank you Rabbii Yurkowitz for speaking up….Not to be chutzpa in any way but RAbbi Gurary comes from a wealthy family… Maybe it is hard to walk in the shoes of the less forunate financially….So we thank you Rabbi Yurkowitz for thinking about us and caring
Live chicken costs about $2.61. Along with providing one of the widest ranges of essentials and accessories for your chickens, we have also crafted an excellent reputation for our care and support. Many people come to us simply seeking help and advice for the overall well being of their feathered friends.
The point here is that Kapporos has become a racket.Whrn the price of “spudiks” started to go up,the then Gerer Rebbe threatened that if prices don’t go way down he will start wearing a regular hat on Shabbos,.The price dropped immediately.
Ask the Peta nut’s how to shlog kaporos! lol
A breath of fresh air!
How many low income families are there that are “under the influence” that its a Mitzvas Aseih to do Kaporos for each member of the family? While they barely have the basic needs for YomTov which IS a Mitzva! Frankly I personaly take my kids & buy 1 Zachar &1 nekeivah Just that they see the Minhag. Otherwise we do it with $ which goes to actually help poor people! Which is the point.
I live in community where ppl are charged $18-20 per chicken!
The point of difference is that one is relatively poor and the other is relatively rich. Each one sees it from his own perspective… (Though I’m not sure why RG had to be offensive to RY in his dissent.)
Look at what both are saying On the one hand Rav Gurary has a very valid point.If a family can afford to spend sums on luxuries why are they seeking to minimize on A Mitzvah or Minhag if you will that has to do with your life? .On the other hand if as Rav Yurkowitz a family is hard pressed then they Should & are able to minimize As it is only A Minhag Chabad & possibly by some others but most of the Frum Olam that uses chickens, roosters for Kapporos only use 1 of Each.I think the main… Read more »
Both of these opinions are brought in S”A on hilchos kapporos. The Alter Rebbe says there are those who do one male chicken for all men/boys together & one for all women/girls together; and there are those who do one for one. Our minhag is to follow the second opinion brought. I’m surprised that was not the discussion here, and whether a family in financial need should also go out of their way to observe a minhag. Sounds much more like a mashpiah (“should I?”) question than a rov (“can I?”) question. On second thought, the underlying argument here is… Read more »
RG shows himself to be very Frum but not very empathetic to the plight of poor families that simply don’t have the funds to pay for basic expenses and every penny counts. I think his opinion would be better taken had he also said that he will try to help people pay for Kapores instead of just knocking Rabbi Yurkowitz’s opinon. Also, the Alter Rebbe in Shulchan Aruch quotes FIRST the opinion of the Levush that there are those that have the Minhag of using one chicken for multiple people so this is not some unheard of Heter. Gmar Chasima… Read more »
moshiach now
Re: the wealthy point. As above, I don’t think it belonged in the report but it is a valid data point.
Different Yidden approach things from different perspectives and a wealthy perspective is a valid a valued point of view. Viewing the world from the perspective of lack is not the end all of insight. It is, too, but a valid and valued perspective.
It’s not intellectually desirable for empathy to erase your personal insight. Empathy allows you to see (feel?) beyond your personal insight, giving it a broader context and a more appropriate perspective. It’s complementary.
Thank you Rabbi Yurkowitz. Now THAT is a true Rov. In touch with the Khal.
If you think we should allow people to minimize kapporos. (Not a hugely costfull mitzvah) It’s basicly saying whats more important to you kapporos or the ipod for your kid, yes your kid will feel poor and left out without it and it would make you and him feel great nowing he has one but is the mitzvah more important to you or the gashmius. It’s everyones private call now since they have 2 rulings to pull from, let’s see how chabad is doing to day almost 20 years since gimmel tamuz. Are you still strong and willing to make… Read more »
Where is it written that it must be one chicken per person. My zayde used to use one Zachor and one nekevah for the whole family.
It says each person should have a chicken but does it say that each person should have to pay for a chicken? A person’s wealth is being determined nowadays. Why not give out the chickens for free so there will be no machlokes about it?
BH I make a decent living but the expenses of Tishrie are overwhelming. It would cost me over $100 to do kapors this year if I got every member their own chicken. Thank you Rabbi Yurkowitz for thinking of the “little guy”.
I think the point you raise regarding the fact that RG is from a wealthy family is a valid one. The bottom line is that he shows himself to be very Frum but not very empathetic to the plight of poor families that simply don’t have the funds to pay for basic expenses and every penny counts. I think his opinion would be better taken had he also said that he will try to help people pay for Kapores instead of just knocking Rabbi Yurkowitz’s opinon. Also, the Alter Rebbe in Shulchan Aruch quotes FIRST the opinion of the Levush… Read more »
Understanding how difficult it actually is and making life a bit easier on families for Tishrei. Kol hakavod
Rabbonim actually leading. This is a very good thing. A Jew has to have a Rov.
Don’t think that Rabbi Gurary’s hailing from a wealthy family belongs anywhere but perhaps in the comment sections.
Reporting is reporting and the reporting in this piece is actually pretty good. The wealthy family data point was an element of persuasion.