PETA is asking for a New York state investigation into kapparot, a ritual performed by some Jews before Yom Kippur.

It involves swinging a live chicken over one’s head, then slaughtering it.

The idea is that, since the Hebrew word “gever” means both “man” and “bird,” a bird can substitute for a man. Thus, during the ceremony, some Jews believe they can transfer their sins to the bird, which is then slaughtered. The meat is then given to the poor.

Some Jews oppose the ritual, claiming there would be no need for a Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) if a bird could take your sins away.

But animal rights group PETA is opposed for another reason.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) charges that thousands of chickens were thrown away in the trash last year following the ritual in Brooklyn. Such dumping is a violation of Jewish law and animal rights, and puts a burden on sanitation workers, PETA says.

Learn more about PETA’s letter and the rabbis response.

Do you practice kapparot? What do you think of PETA’s response? Leave your comments.

Filed under: Judaism, Religion and Ethics