The more modern rabbis of Israel and elsewhere are concerned with the well being of hens and roosters used for the kaparot ceremony. They base their concerns on our humanitarian laws.
Bravo!
However, in R. Eli Mansour’s Daily Halacha for September 12 2013/ז' תשרי he notes that a woman 40 days or more pregnant should bring a chicken for the fetus as well as herself. This is a custom and not halakah.
How does the mother-to-be know if the fetus is male or female? Ultrasound. But maybe not.
R. Yitzhak Yaakob Weiss rules that, based on his research with OB-GYNs,ultrasound cannot determine the sex of the fetus at 40 days. R. Ovadia Yosef rules otherwise. According to Syrian R. Mansour, “Ovadia notes that in any event, taking Kapparot for an unborn child is not required according to the strict Halacha, and thus, for example, if a pregnant woman cannot afford extra chickens for her fetus, she may bring only one hen for herself.”
Obviously if the woman is carrying twins she would need at least 3 fowl; triplets, 4 fowl, and more would require emptying out the lul (chicken house).
According to Chabad, “A pregnant woman should perform kaparot with three chickens—two hens and a rooster. One hen for herself, and the other hen and rooster for the unborn child (of undetermined gender). Or, if this is too expensive, one hen and one rooster will suffice (and if the fetus is female, she shares the hen with her mother).
“If a chicken is unavailable, one may substitute another kosher fowl (besides for doves and pigeons, as they were offered as sacrifices in the Holy Temple). Some use a kosher live fish; others perform the entire rite with money, and then giving the money – at least the value of a chicken – to charity.”
The blessings for fowl are shown below. If using something other than fowl or money, simply namethe item in lieu of the fowl.
BUT
Parents-to-be can “chicken out.”
There is an acceptable option that even PITA would approve.
Use money.
Unlike chickens, money has no sex. (“Gender” is for grammar; “sex” is for living things.)
Unlike fowl, the blassing over money is the same for males and females of all ages, from a 40-day old fetus to the oldest amoung us.
Instead of reciting
...התנגול/ת ילך/תלך למיתה...
the person substitutes
… הכסף ילך לצדקה…
Transliteration, thanks to Kapparot.com:
Zeh 'halifati, zeh temourati, zeh kaparati, zeh hakessef yelekh litsedaka, vaani elekh le'haïm tovim aroukhim oulechalom
The amount, according to all authorities, should at least equal the price of a (kosher) hen or rooster. A personal suggestion: Since fowl are food, an appropriate charity would be a Jewish food bank. If a live creature is used for kapora, it is slaughtered (with a gratuity to the shochet) and given to a needy person/family. Food bank or food, the end result is the same.
For more on kapparot, go to Brooklyn’s ‘crazy chicken lady’ takes on kapparot. Well worth a read.
