Mitzvah —
207
Not to take the mother bird from her children
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כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפּ֣וֹר ׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכׇל־עֵ֣ץ ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים א֖וֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים׃ - פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תֵצֵא
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Deuteronomy 22:6 - "If a bird's nest chances before you on the road, on any tree, or on the ground, and [it contains] fledglings or eggs, if the mother is sitting upon the fledglings or upon the eggs, you shall not take the mother upon the young."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Kashrut – כַּשְׁרוּת
It is forbidden to take a mother bird together with her young.
This mitzvah prohibits capturing the mother bird while she is with her young in the nest, whether eggs or chicks. The Torah commands us to respect the bond of life between parent and offspring, preventing us from wiping out both generations at once.
The act of restraining our hand here is one of compassion and reverence for creation. By leaving the mother bird free, we recognize divine mercy in the natural order. This commandment reminds us to temper human power with sensitivity, even over creatures considered small and insignificant.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Shechitah 13:5–6): Prohibits taking the mother with her young; the mitzvah applies whenever the mother is present.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 545): Explains the root as cultivating mercy, distancing cruelty, and teaching respect for life.
- Talmud (Chullin 138b): Discusses scenarios and conditions, including which birds are included.
- Rashi (Deut. 22:6): Notes that the Torah’s mercy extends even to birds, demonstrating the value of compassion in all aspects of life.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Bein Adam L’Makom (between a person and G-d)
- The prohibition is stated as a Divine command, with no explicit interpersonal dimension.
- It’s about obedience, reverence, and cultivating compassion through Hashem’s framework — so it’s fundamentally Bein Adam L’Makom.
Bein Adam L’Chavero (between people)
- Some mefarshim (commentators) explain that mitzvot like Shiluach HaKen train our middot (character traits). Compassion learned here extends to how we treat people.
- Sefer HaChinuch and Rambam emphasize that the purpose is to refine us and distance us from cruelty. That makes it indirectly interpersonal, since the trait we develop affects others.
