B"H
Tuesday, Tishrei 6, 5785 / October 8, 2024
Yom Kippur, the Holiest day of the year, will begin this Friday evening. through the day of Shabbat. Of all the fast days of the year, Yom Kippur is the only fast we do even if it falls on Shabbat. All other fasts, if they fall on Shabbat get pushed off to the next day.
Yom Kippur is the day in which Moshe came down Mount Sinai with the Second set of Tablets and when G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf.
There are many customs associated with preparing for the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. One of the ancient customs, practiced to this day, is called, “Kaparot.”
“Kaparot” is when we take a rooster for a male and a hen for a female and recite a special prayer in which we ask G-d that if there should be any bad decree on us, it should be exchanged on the animal instead. We wave the hen or rooster gently over our head. This is repeated three times. The chicken is then slaughtered by the shochet (ritual slaughterer) and usually donated to feed the poor. Many, instead of using a chicken, perform this custom with money, which is then donated to charity.
Q. Why is a chicken or rooster chosen to be used as Kaparot?
A. The rooster was the most readily available domestic animal. Also, the Hebrew name for a rooster is “gever.” One of the names for man is also gever. Thus, it makes a good exchange – gever (rooster) for gever (man).
Just as there is a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur, it is a mitzvah to eat on the day before Yom Kippur. Thus, while we will be performing a mitzvah by fasting from this Friday evening until after Shabbat, we will be performing a mitzvah by eating this Friday and we have a special Yom Tov meal on Friday afternoon, in preparation for the fast of Yom Kippur. Our sages made the following statement: “Whoever eats on the day before Yom Kippur and then fasts on Yom Kippur, is considered as if they have fasted two days.”
Q. What is the reason that it is a mitzvah to eat on the day before Yom Kippur?
A. As with every other Jewish custom there are many reasons: 1) Yom Kippur is a very special holiday, for on Yom Kippur our sins are forgiven. Being that every holiday is celebrated with a feast and on Yom Kippur we are prohibited to eat, we celebrate the holiday of Yom Kippur by feasting the day BEFORE Yom Kippur.
2) Although G-d told us to fast on Yom Kippur, He wants us to be able to tolerate the fast and not become ill. Thus, He gave us the mitzvah to eat on the day before Yom Kippur, in order to have the strength and energy to fast on Yom Kippur.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY &
GMAR CHATIMA TOVA - A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW