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From Sidur Tehilas Hashem, Sidur Rav Amram, and Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Yom Hakipurim 10:20 you take additional chickens for Kaparos for a pregnant lady in order to cover the fetus. What sin (or sins) has the fetus done that it requires a Kapara?

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    Achila Gasa?..... Sep 2, 2013 at 15:28
  • Why do you assume the child is getting a kappara? The chicken is not a korban
    – Double AA
    Sep 2, 2013 at 15:29
  • Some say gilgul,others say maybe mother ate something assur,and others don't include the unborn child
    – sam
    Sep 2, 2013 at 16:07
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    (...and that ^^^ is why the rishonim hated this.)
    – Double AA
    Sep 2, 2013 at 17:48
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    Actually, there is a huge question about pregnant women; what if she's carrying twin boys, or twin girls, or triplets...?
    – user4751
    Sep 30, 2014 at 14:35

1 Answer 1

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Whatever it is that would cause a fetus to die or grow sickly, whether it is the sins of the parents or a gezeira or nature roulette, which is 'hanging over the head' of this fetus, will be effected by the kaparos which will draw that away into the chicken.

http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=50519&st=&pgnum=241

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  • And of course chucking the gizzards onto the roof plays a big role.
    – user6591
    Sep 30, 2014 at 15:10
  • In other words, no sin -- just to shield it from possible tragedy. Am I reading you right?
    – MTL
    Sep 30, 2014 at 15:17
  • @Shokhet For two of the situations. But in the third there might be sin. A parent's sin can cause a childs death if the child is very young. So if the paparent's sin has been decreed to cause this child/fetus to die, then the chicken helps for that too.
    – user6591
    Sep 30, 2014 at 15:25

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