“Shiluach HaKen” — Sod Torah

“Shiluach HaKen” — Sod Torah

Of all the mitzvot, the mitzvah of “Shiluach HaKen” is the most mysterious and defies human logic. “If you happen upon a bird’s nest on the road, in any tree, or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother is sitting on the fledglings or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother together with her young. You shall send away the mother bird, and take only the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and your days will be lengthened.” (Devarim 22:6–7) The Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKana indicates that a secret is concealed in the mitzvah concerning the bird and its nest: “Rabbi Rechimai expounded: Why does it say, ‘Send away the mother,’ and not the father?” The meaning is as follows: “‘Mother’ refers to Binah—understanding, one of the higher sefirot, which gave birth to all the worlds below it—which is the Mother of the Universe, as it is written: ‘If you call out for understanding.’ (Mishlei 2:3) And what is meant by the words, “but take the young for yourself”? Rabbi Rechimai said: Those “young” whom she raised. And what are they? “The seven days of Creation, the seven days of the festival of Sukkot, the laws of the seven days of the week, and so forth.” Since a great secret is concealed in this mitzvah, the reward for fulfilling it is very great: “so that it will be good for you and your days will be lengthened.” (Or HaGanuz on Sefer HaBahir 104) Rashba (the foremost disciple of Ramban)—zechuto yagen aleinu—taught: “Know that even if it is possible to reveal the hidden meaning of this mitzvah to one of the Kabbalists, it would be to only one person in an entire generation. But this does not exempt those learned in Torah from contemplating the meaning of the mitzvot to the extent permitted by human understanding, first and foremost in order to acquire good character traits.” (Rashba, Teshuvot 1:94) Shlah HaKadosh also explains that in the language of Kabbalah this means the following: “Mother Bird” refers to the spiritual realm of the “Supernal Mother” in the “heavenly spheres.” While dwelling in a physical body, we have no access to this realm. Therefore, “take only the young for yourself” means that only the lower emanations and realms—called banim, children—are accessible to a human being. Midrash Rabbah lists the following among the rewards for this mitzvah: if you have no children, the Creator will grant you sons, and He will hasten the coming of Mashiach and the prophet Eliyahu. One meaning of the mitzvah is that the root of all evil in the world is egoism, especially the desire for personal acquisition. Here, a person relinquishes ownership of the mother bird so that she may later produce more fledglings—in other words, for the sake of the common good. Thus, his reward is measure for measure: he will be able to raise children to serve the L-rd, thereby hastening the universal geulah. There is also an inner meaning: the Midrash explains that a mazik, a harmful force, moves through the air, and the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird provides protection from it. The Zohar HaKadosh tells how the distressed mother bird flies with her complaint to the angel of the birds of her kind. Supported by related angels, he turns to the Creator: “Why did You issue a commandment that causes our charges to suffer?!” The L-rd exclaims in response: “But why do you not also plead for My children, scattered throughout the world?! For the destroyed nest of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence—the Temple—for she is called the Mother of the World?! And Binah, the highest intellect and understanding, is also called ‘mother’—but where is prophecy, My highest gift to humanity?!” The Zohar HaKadosh then presents a lengthy symbolic account of the future revelation of Mashiach. The spiritual realm known as the “bird’s nest” appears repeatedly in this account. Mashiach sometimes hides there; there are concealed the spiritual archetypes of all Israel’s oppressors, as well as the image of the destroyed Temple. The “fledglings” are the children who study Torah. “The world stands on their breath,” and through their merit it will attain perfection. (Based on an article by Rav Aryeh Yudasin) Segulot of the Mitzvah: 1. A segulah for longevity — the reward is already stated in the Torah itself: “so that it will be good for you and your days will be lengthened.” (Devarim 22:6–7) 2. The birth of sons — “if you have no children, the Creator will grant you sons.” (Midrash Rabbah) 3. Hastening the coming of Mashiach and the prophet Eliyahu. (Midrash Rabbah) 4. Protection from mazikim. (Midrash Rabbah)