Chickens Abused During Midwood Kapporos

Another reason (in addition to the Rashba's strong condemnation of the ritual as pagan in origin) why kapparot should be banned:

Last Sunday the ASPCA [American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] seized more than 200 chickens from a Brooklyn lot.

These chickens were on sale as part of the Jewish kapparah rite by vendors camped out at a construction site at Coney Island Ave. and Avenue L in Midwood. …

The chickens were crammed into crates, stacked on top of one another and left out in the rain for days. These birds were encrusted with dried feces, urine and blood. Many suffered from severed toes, plucked out eyes and severe dehydration.  ASPCA agents, sifted through the pile of discarded chickens and rescued the remaining live ones. An investigation into their death is underway.

Perhaps the more informed can tell us how torturing and maltreating innocent animals (as opposed to simply schechting them and giving their meat to the poor or to yeshivot) expiates sin.

Rabbis? Why are you silent?

[Hat tip: PS]

UPDATE: New York Daily News coverage here.

Comments

[david]

the lone looser strikes again. no worries, chabad didn't invent kaparot. you don't have to wage war against this age old jewish ritual. if you do succeed in this some day in wyoming, maybe. worry not, chabad will be there to be sure that you don't vindicate. evil (you) will never prosper. may all evil disipate from the face of the earth.

[Herman Douchebag]

David-Educate me-
What specifically is Kapporos?
What section of the Troah commands it?

Thank you

[Scott]

Why do the chickens have to be tortured before they do what they do? What do they do? What is done unto them? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Herman Douchebag]

I just realized it-this is the answer to the aged old question first asked by Abraham-

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

To get away from the Haredim!

[Herman Douchebag]

I just realized it-this is the answer to the aged old question first asked by Abraham-

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

To get away from the Haredim!

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Shmarya, I disagree with about 99.98% of your views on the treatment of animals vis-à-vis Judaism, but I totally agree with you on this incident.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

>have to wage war against this age old jewish ritual

The O"C, to paraphrase, says this is a ritual that does not need to be encouraged. This is a ritual that the O"C says that I am not to do. I hope it dies.

[Chabad]

If all the saintly Rebbes of the royal Chabad Lubavitch dynasty observed this age old ritual, then that is good enough of a reason for me to follow their rote. They were saintly and wholesomely righteous in all of their ways, contrary to your falsified allegations, and many other great Jewish leaders prior to them did so as well, we can follow their holy ways.

If you would have existed 2000 years ago, chances are you would be the only shmuck (wih your saducite fiends) protesting against the Divinely (Torah) ordained precept of offering sacrifices on the alter in the Holy Temples.

Shame on you, again.

[Shmarya]

1. The Saducees were PRO Temple scarifices.

2. The Rashba and some other Rishonim OPPOSED kapparot, despite what your "saintly Rebbes" would later do.

[Michael Croland]

Sadly, this isn't an isolated incident! In The Jewish Press earlier this month, Rabbi Yaakov Klass wrote:

"Someone had set up a 'kaporos' operation on a prominent avenue in my community. The chickens were being slaughtered rapidly on site, and due to the sheer volume, were being thrown into a garbage pail right before my eyes...

"Indeed, as we noted earlier, one may choose to substitute money for charity, as stated in Sedei Chemed (Ma`arechet Yom HaKippurim 1:13).

"However, if one uses live chickens, one should make sure that the establishment has a reliable hashgacha and is not a fly-by-night operation, as using such a facility makes it doubtful whether kappara (atonement) is effected, and may violate the injunctions against tza`ar ba`alei chayyim and bal tashchit as well."

[Phil]

"The Rashba and some other Rishonim OPPOSED kapparot"

Can you provide sources?
I agree with you, but I would like to read the sources.

Thanks

[Helen]

Hope they do to them what the do to the poor chickens. Bunch of bloody cowards. This cruelty has to stop. It is a shame that they continue to do it.
It is so sad to think people do not have any feelings what they do to these innocent chickens.
May they all rot in hell for being so cruel.

[sam]

I think this ritual is very in-humane to animals. All jewish people should fight against this ritual. Especially the saintly jews should stand against this practice because the meaning of being a SAINT is to help beings not hurt them. they can not be considered a treu sait if they knowignly hurt beings whether humans or animals.