The Eve of Yom Kippur: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? It is known that in the town of Kelm, (Kelm, not Chelm), it was said that what distinguished a man between being righteous or wicked was the ability to paint for himself a picture of the future (oh no! I can only draw stick-men!).
On the eve of Yom-Kippur, there is a custom for every Jew, man and woman alike, to take a chicken, (roosters for boys and hens for girls) hold it carefully, (so as not to upset our feathered friends) and wave the bird around their head while saying: “This is my exchange; this is my substitute; this is my atonement. This rooster will go to its death; I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.”
This procedure is repeated three times. The chicken is then slaughtered and given to charity.
There is one point here that requires clarification. It appears as though repentance is something that can be bought: You take a chicken, swing it around your head three times, going through motions without feelings or regrets, and BANG! You’re forgiven!
Rather than an empty ritual or charm, the point of this custom is to help a person come to the realization of the future. What is happening to the chicken may very well be what might happen to him.
If a person truly feels this, there is a guarantee from the wise men of Kelm that he will turn himself around to true repentance as a righteous Jew.
May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good, sweet year. |
