Extending Life

Some commandments in Torah are more elaborate and detailed, and others are somewhat straightforward and simple. Yet all of them teach how to apply wisdom in life in all situations. This week, I pondered over a commandment concerning the bird’s nest. Torah says if one comes upon a nest with a mother bird sitting on it, one should let the mother go. You may take her young or the eggs for food, but you should not take both the offspring and the parent at the same time. In fact, if you plan on taking the young, you are responsible for the removal of the mother. Torah says, shale’ach te’shalakh et haem – “certainly send away the mother.” You, the traveler, the decision-maker, are responsible for ensuring that the mother will not see the emptying of her nest. It sounds like an act of mercy.

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