As Yom Kippur gets closer, familiar customs begin to fill our homes: Tashlich, which entails going to the river where we cast away the sins of the past year, giving extra charity, completing the reading of Tehillim, and finally what we are going to discuss, Kapparot.
What exactly is Kapparot (Atonement)?
It’s one of those customs that children remember for years. Kapparot is one of the final preparations before Yom Kippur. Some follow the longstanding custom of circling a chicken above their head while reciting the prescribed Tefillos, and then one redeems the worth of the chicken and gives the money to the poor.
It is gradually becoming more popular to perform Kapparot with money, to encircle the money around one’s heads and state that the money should go to Tzedakah (charity). The reason why this has become the most favored choice of Kapparot is because it’s a meaningful way to combine an age-old Minhag with helping children and families in need before Yom Kippur. At the same time it is also a more animal friendly option.
What is the meaning behind the custom of Kapparot?
Kapparot has been practiced by Klal Yisrael for centuries. The idea behind it is in the word Kapparot—sacrifice, that we are sacrificing our possession. We know that we have been found wanting in some of our actions, and our possession should bear the consequence of our actions and we should receive from G-d an atonement.
And as we pass the chicken or money over our head, we ask of G-d that if we were destined to be the recipients of harsh decrees in the new year, may they be transferred to this chicken or this money in the merit of this mitzvah of charity.
A Custom Rooted in Reflection
The custom of Kaporos is mentioned by the Rema (Orach Chaim 605:1), who records it as an accepted Minhag among Ashkenazi communities. Over the generations, many commentators explained that the ceremony serves as a powerful reminder of teshuvah.
By doing this ritual we are awakening the heart. When we do kapparot we are reminding ourselves that life is precious and that our acts are meaningful. If we have done bad things they have ramifications and need to be rectified. Yom Kippur is a time to honestly examine our actions, where we’ve been and where we want to go.
This ritual varies depending on the local Minhag- custom. Some use a chicken, following longstanding custom. Others perform Kapparot with money, giving the funds directly to Tzedakah. Both approaches are well established in many observant communities, each following its own accepted Minhag.
How to do Kapparot with Money
For many people today, performing Kapparot with money has become a practical way to fulfill the Minhag while immediately helping someone in need. For even in the situation where one does Kapparot with a chicken, one should donate the worth to help poor people and orphans.
To do Kapparot with money, one simply circles the money around one’s head three times and states the following saying: “This exchange, this substitute, this atonement; this money shall go to charity, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace.”
To What Cause Should I Donate my Kapparos Charity?
After performing this ritual, the money is considered by Jewish law money of charity and must be donated to the poor.
The question is which charity is suitable?
You may find many charities online making special Kapparot charity campaigns, but donating money to a cause, however wonderful, that doesn’t give money to the poor—such as donating to a Jewish security organization or to help raise awareness of Jewish education—would be a misuse of charity.
If we look in the Shulchan Aruch, it says to donate the money to the poor. The idea being that you are helping people who don’t have the means, and if we show compassion on others who need our help, then G-d will help us too.
Pidyon Kapparot with Lev LaLev
If you are looking to find the perfect charity for your Kapparot money, look no further than Lev LaLev. We are actively supporting poor and helpless children, helping them with basic needs such as food and clothes. Even more than this, we help ensure our children a stable and happy future by finding them jobs and perhaps the biggest charity of all—Hachnosas Kallah—covering the costs of their weddings that secures them a successful and meaningful future. By donating to Lev LaLev, you are doing your part in this great Mitzvah of supporting orphans.
Your Kapparot donation helps provide the daily necessities that every child should have, while allowing them to experience the warmth of a real home, celebrate Yom Tov with dignity, and continue building a future filled with Torah, education, and hope.
As you prepare for Yom Kippur, remember where your Kapparot money can go. Lev LaLev is ready to put it to work for children who need it today.
