A delightful tale in the Talmud tells the story of Rachel, daughter of Rabbi Akiva, and her close encounter with death. Rabbi Akiva was advised by the astrologers that his precious daughter was destined to die on the night of her wedding. The fate of the Jews overriding destiny and astrology, he decided to remain silent about the matter.
Needless to say, on the morning after the wedding celebration, Rabbi Akiva asked Rachel if anything unusual had occurred with her in the last few hours. She replied that indeed she awoke to find a poisonous snake by her pillow with her hair pin through its head. In the dark of night, as she laid down to rest, instead of inserting the hairpin into the wall behind her, she had inserted it straight through the head of the poisonous serpent, killing it instantly.
Rabbi Akiva then asked his daughter if she had done any special merit of mitzvah recently. Upon reflection, she recalled the starving, poor man that entered the wedding hall, unnoticed by all the celebrants. She personally served him her plate, which he devoured and then promptly left.
Relieved, Rabbi Akiva exclaimed: "Know, my daughter, that you were saved from certain death in the merit of your Tzedaka. Indeed, Tzedaka - Charity - saves one from death!"
As we face the Day of Judgement, an ancient Jewish Custom is to redeem our sins through charity. Specifically, we purchase a chicken, a rooster for a each male and a hen for each female, and lift them above our heads as we declare that this chicken will be donated to charity in exchange for our sins.
You might recall cherished memories of your bubbe and zeidy schlepping you early in the morning before Yom Kippur to "shlog kaporos", redeem the sins with the chickens. We, at Chabad, are delighted to introduce this ancient Jewish custom to our community next week.
Please join us on Monday at 5:30-7:00 PM in the park behind our shul to "shlog kaporos", to connect with the sweet memories and traditions of our bubbes and zeidies. Try to bring your children and grandchildren to ensure that they will have the same cherished memories of their bubby and zeidy with the “Yom Kippur Chickens" that you have of yours!
Read more about the Kapparot Chicken Tradition here
Reserve your Chicken for Shloggen Kapporos at www.JewishGardens.com/RSVP
May all our sins and indiscretions be transformed through the kind charity of the kaporos we do, and may we all be sealed in the book of Life and Joy, on this Yom Kippur.