Kapporos

I've never done it. I've never seen anyone do it. The thought of someone swinging a chicken over their head and then slaughtering it seems kind of wrong to me (though also a little funny, in a cartoony-kind-of-way).

So I'm kind of conflicted- on the one hand, part of me was cheering DovBear's rant about the "shlugging masses" a few days ago. Then I read this on Ynet- Reform Rabbis saying that doing kapporos is mean and verging on the un-Jewish, and my first thought was, "shut up, Rabbi. Get back in your yurt and pass the free-trade guacamole". I wonder if this is an example of how criticisms from within a tradition or community are somehow seen as having more validity? It's interesting; DovBear doesn't seem to say anything in his post that is substantially different than these Reform rabbis (in fact he actually goes farther, implying the practitioners are stupid and potentially engaging in idol worship), yet I only have the gut-reaction to the Reform guys. Maybe I'm more of a denomo-snob than I thought. (Or maybe this issue just plays more into the common Reform stereotypes.) Maybe it's the fact that DB is more angry and less whiny?

In principle, I support people's right to do what they want as part of their religion, but there's the sticky issue of "as long as it doesn't harm anyone else". This ritual certainly harms the chickens, but considering that they'd be slaughtered anyway (except without their complimentary 'last roller-coaster-ride'), I just don't know how to look at this one. And you also get into the problems of where the border for animal rights should lie.

Tricky, very tricky.