Rabbi Jason Fruithandler and Barbara Murphy talk about the strange story of the prophet Balaam and the Moabite King Balak and the donkey that saw the angel.

Episode Three: Balaam and the Talking Donkey - Numbers 22

The Paper Chicken: A Story of Renewal
(As retold by Rabbi Or Rose)

A young Hasid once visited his beloved master, Rabbi Elimelkh of Lizensk,
during the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuval). The Hasid came to
his rebbe with a specific request:

"Great Master, as a devoted member of the holy community of Lizensk, I have
been blessed to witness you pray the three daily services, recite the blessing over
wine on Shabbat, and light the Hanukkah candles. In fact, I have been fortunate
enough to observe you perform many of God's sacred commands. Anong the few
mitzvoth I have not yet seen you perform is the ritual of Kapparol. Would it be
possible for me to do so this year?"

Reb Elimelekh replied, "While I am honored by your request, I must admit that
my performance of this particular command is rather ordinary. Like others, I take
a chicken in hand and swing it over my head. While doing so, I say the
appropriate words of absolution. When I conclude the ritual, I give the animal to
the hungry in our community for their final meal before Yom Kippur. If you want
to see someone perform the ritual of Kapparot in a special manner, go to Moshe
the innkeeper."

And so, on the night before Yom Kippur, the young Hasid made his way to
Moshe's inn, where he ate dinner and stayed the night. Early the next morning,
Moshe and his wife awoke early to perform the mitzvah of Kapparot; the young
Hasid looked on with great anticipation.

The ritual began with Moshe sitting in a wooden chair before the small fireplace in
his living room. After positioning himself comfortably in the chair, he asked his
wife to bring him the "Two books of repentance." Moshe's wife dutifully brought
her husband two tattered books from his study.

Moshe opened the first book, carefully read its contents, and began to weep. The
young Hasid listened intently as Moshe read a list of (rather minor) sins the
innkeeper had committed against God the previous year. After completing this
reading, Moshe took the book, swung it over his head, and threw it into the fire.

The innkeeper took a deep breath and then opened the second book and repeated
the ritual. This time, however, he read a somewhat longer list of sins that God had
committed against the Jewish people the previous year. After completing his
recitation, Moshe swung the book over his head and threw it into the fire.

The innkeeper was then ready for Yom Kippur.

Episode 69: From Sinai to Bethlehem - A Paper Chicken

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Connecting Scripture and Life podcast explores the way God speaks in different times and places with the same wisdom that lead to a happy life. Scripture teaches us how to live. Through conversations with people who love, teach, and live it we will explore our own lives in the pages of the sacred.

Connecting Scripture and Life is a ministry of the Catholic Bible Institute, Office of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Episode 69: From Sinai to Bethlehem - A Paper Chicken

Connecting Scripture and Life

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