While kaparot is still practiced among some Jewish communities today, it’s probably not surprising to learn that it’s a controversial ritual that is by no means universal among Jews, and it has in fact been condemned by some rabbis since essentially as soon as it started. Rabbi Hammer explains that notable rabbis such Moses ben Nahman in the 13th century (also known as Nachmanades or the Ramban) and Rabbi Joseph Karo in the 16th century both objected to the ceremony, likening it to superstition and saying that it too closely resembled pagan practices to be an acceptable Jewish practice. Chabad...