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According to an article in today's "Wall Street Journal," physicists are still struggling to understand the basic proton. In the 1960's, they determined that the proton was made up up three particles they called quarks. Unfortunately for them, the quarks only account for 1.5% of the mass of the proton, 20% to 30% of the proton's spin, and one-third of the proton's magnetism. The physicists have therefore added gluons (to keep the quarks together) and virtual quarks (quarks that pop into and out of existence) to their theory. Yet, these additional particles do not solve the problems in the least. Ultimately, the physicists do not know why the proton is a proton. God is still the God which "doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number" (Job 5:9). If some day they figure out what makes up the proton, they can then begin their search to understand what makes up a quark. [information taken from "Scientists Try to Put Right Spin on Quarks to Understand Matter" in WSJ, May19, 2006]
There are five major offerings described in the Old Testament (Leviticus 1-5): burnt, meat, peace, sin, and trespass. One them, the meat offering, does not use an animal sacrifice. The other four do. However, the offerings differ in whether the animals are to be male or female. Here is how they are specified. The burnt offering is to be a male (Leviticus 1:3, 10). The peace offering can be either male or female (Leviticus 3:1, 6). The sin offering is to be male when offered for "a ruler" of the people (Leviticus 4:22-23) but a female when offered for "one of the common people" (Leviticus 4:27-28). Finally, the trespass offering is to be a female (Leviticus 5:6). The question is why.
Here is a site that has pictures of the Jewish practice of Kapparot. "Kapparot, which is from the same Hebrew root as Yom Kippur and literally means "atonements", is a custom which aims to awaken the drive toward repentance while engaging in charity on the eve of Judaism's central day of prayer. The practice of kapparot using live fowl entails the following: A male or female chicken is taken in hand, corresponding to the gender of the taker or family members on whose behalf they are performing the ritual. Psalm 107:17-20 and Job 33:23-24 are recited and the live bird is swung around the person's head three times. While swinging, the person recites the following three times: 'This be my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This cock (or hen) shall meet death, but I shall find a long and pleasant life of peace.'"