Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 228/ספרי דברים רכ״ח
א(דברים כב ז) שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, אֲפִלּוּ חָמֵשׁ פְּעָמִים – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח.
1Pisqa’ 2281031. “You must definitely send away the dam” (Dt. 22:7)—This is a prescriptive commandment.If he sent her away and she returned,and he sent her away and she returned—even five times—is he still under obligation to send her away? 104As it is said:.“You must definitely send away the dam” (Dt. 22:7).
בהָאַוָּזִים וְתַרְנְגוֹלִים שֶׁמָּרְדוּ וְשֶׁקִּנְּנוּ בַּפַּרְדֵּס – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ; בַּבַּיִת – פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
22. Ducks or chickens that got looseand nested in an orchard—one is under obligation to send the dam away.If the birds are nesting in the house—he need not send the dam away.
ג(דברים כב ו) אֶפְרוֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים, מָה אֶפְרוֹחִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּם צוֹרֶךְ – יָצְאוּ מֵתִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ, אַף בֵּיצִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ – יָצְאוּ בֵּיצִים מוּזָרוֹת שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ. מִעוּט אֶפְרוֹחִים שְׁנַיִם, מִעוּט בֵּיצִים שְׁנַיִם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין שָׁם אֶלָּא בֵּיצָה אַחַת אוֹ אֶפְרוֹחַ אֶחָד – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
3“The fledglings or the eggs” (Dt. 22:6)—fledglings are useful as food.Therefore we exclude from the ruledead fledglings, which are useless.Similarly, eggs are useful as food.Therefore we exclude from the ruleabnormal eggs, which are useless.The minimum number intendedby the plural, fledglings, is two.and the minimum of eggs is two.105 227.2.Even if there is but one fledgling or one egg,he is obliged to send off the dam.3. Another word:“If you happen across a bird’s nest” (Dt. 22:6)—any place.
דבַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל עֵץ אוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ, מַה דֶּרֶךְ רְשׁוּת – יָצְאוּ מְקֻשָּׁרִים שֶׁהֵן בִּרְשׁוּת אַחֵר.
4“In the path, in any tree, or upon the ground” (Dt. 22:6)—just as the term, in the path,implies that the birds are free-ranging,we exclude from the rulebirds that are tied together,for they obviously have limited range.
הדָּבָר אַחֵר: (דברים כב ז) שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח בִּטְהוֹרָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר; אוֹ אַף בִּטְמֵאָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״כָּל צִפּוֹר טְהוֹרָה תֹּאכֵלוּ״ זֶה בִּנְיַן אָב, כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר צִפּוֹר – בִּטְהוֹרָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה, הָא אִם שִׁלְּחָהּ וְהֶחְזִיר בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֶת פָּנָיו – פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
5Another word:“You must definitely send away the dam” (Dt. 22:7)—the verse discusses a clean bird.Or, [perhaps,] is it also[discussing] an unclean bird?The Teaching states:“Every clean bird shall you eat” (Dt. 14:11).This permits us to recognizea family resemblance among scriptural verses,106. A hermeneutical principle whereby usage of a word in a primary context clarifies secondary usages.Thus, wherever the term, “bird,” is used[as in Dt. 22:7, where “dam” appears],the verse is referring to the clean bird[indicated at Dt. 14:11]—as in the words of R. Josiah.Indeed, if he sent her away and returned to his journey,he is under no obligation to repeatedly send her away.
ושַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח – בַּנְּקֵבוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר וְלֹא בַּזְּכָרִים.
6“You must definitely send away the dam” (Dt. 22:7)—The verse is discussing females, not males.107
זקוֹרֵא זָכָר – רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְחַיֵּב בְּשִׁלּוּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח, וַחֲכָמִים פּוֹטְרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָאֵם – פְּרָט לְקוֹרֵא זָכָר.
74. Regarding the male partridge,R. Eliezer holds that he is under the rule[and must be sent off before taking the young],for it is said:“You must definitely send away the dam”—[That is, any bird functioning as the dam].But sages release him from obligation,as it is said:“The dam” (Dt. 22:7)—but not a male partridge.108
חהַנּוֹטֵל אֵם מֵעַל הַבָּנִים, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: לוֹקֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּחַ, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים מְשַׁלֵּחַ וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה וְכוּ׳ מַתְנִי׳ עַד מִצְווֹת חֲמוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.
85. One who takes the dam from the young—R. Judah says:He receives a judicial beating[for violating the proscription of sending off the dam],yet needn’t then send off the dam.But sages say:He must send off the dam,yet does not receive a judicial beating.{This is the general principle:Any proscriptive commandmentwhich entails getting up and acting—they do not administer stripes to the transgressor. 109A person must not take the dam from the youngeven to cleanse a victim of Scale-disease.Now, if, regarding a simple commandment—costing at most an issar110 (Roman denarius).—the Torah promises:“So that you should be well, and extend your days” (Dt. 22:7),shouldn’t it follow that the same promise appliesto any of the Torah’s more arduous commandments?}111