Rabbi Daniela Szuster.
B´nei Israel Congregation,
Costa Rica.
Searching for Ways to be Rachmanim (Pious)
One of the laws that appear in this week’s parashah is the one known as “Shiluach haKen”. It is written in the Torah: “If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days” (Deut. 22:6-7).
One of the laws that appear in this week’s parashah is the one known as “Shiluach haKen”. It is written in the Torah: “If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days” (Deut. 22:6-7).
What is the reason for behaving like this when faced with a mother and her breed? Different sages explain the reason for this law, and in this regard, there is a famous debate between Maimonides (Rambam) and Nachmanides (Ramban).
Maimonides includes this law within the well-known value of avoiding “Tza’ar Ba’alei Chaim”, which means avoiding pain in living beings, especially referred to animals. There are many precepts that the sages associate with this mitzvah. Some examples: “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk” (Ex. 34:26). “And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and its young both in one day” (Lev. 22:28). The laws of Shechita can be included as well, ruled by the idea that animals can be slaughtered for consumption, but in the least painful way possible.
In this sense, the reason for the law of Shiluach haKen is to prevent the mother’s suffering, by seeing her breed taken away. If people have to do it anyway, better do it by the least painful way.
In this sense, the reason for the law of Shiluach haKen is to prevent the mother’s suffering, by seeing her breed taken away. If people have to do it anyway, better do it by the least painful way.
Nachmanides differs with the previous scholar, saying that the purpose of this law is to educate us to be good people. Pious, compassionate and merciful people towards the world around us. Sort of an educational technique to remove us from cruel attitudes and familiarize us with kind conducts.
Maimonides places the emphasis on the animal, on avoiding its pain or making it suffer the least, while Nachmanides, places it on the humans. The purpose is not to be kind to animals but to teach us good qualities.
We could well think that when we fulfill this mitzvah, we do both: we prevent the animal from suffering and, on the other hand, it helps us to be better people, more compassionate and kind.
A passage that appears in the Talmud is interesting: “Thereupon he (David) said to them: This nation is distinguished by three characteristics: They are merciful (rachmanim), bashful and benevolent (Gomeli Hassadim)… Only he who cultivates these three characteristics is fit to join this nation” (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Yebamoth 79a).
A precious quality in our tradition is to be “rachmanim”, pious or merciful, with the world around us.
It is, precisely, a virtue we need to improve in our days. We live at a time where technology and the media have progressed so much that we can, among other things, see hundreds of violent images every day, both real and from science fiction. Decades ago, we could not sit comfortably at home and watch a war, an assault, and so many other crimes in different parts of the world. Perhaps they happened then as now, but it was impossible to see the images as if we were standing there, at the scene of the crime.
It is, precisely, a virtue we need to improve in our days. We live at a time where technology and the media have progressed so much that we can, among other things, see hundreds of violent images every day, both real and from science fiction. Decades ago, we could not sit comfortably at home and watch a war, an assault, and so many other crimes in different parts of the world. Perhaps they happened then as now, but it was impossible to see the images as if we were standing there, at the scene of the crime.
We are daily exposed to situations of violence, and we are in danger of becoming used to them. We may get to the point of confusing a movie with reality, and seeing everything at the same level.
Journalists and news companies know very well that the subjects that sell more are those where there is blood, violence and weapons.
Of course, being informed is an advantage, and so is this new technology, but I think that we should not lose the capacity to feel for what happens around us. It is important for us to be able to feel the pain of others, and to act accordingly.
Somehow, this week’s parashah is referring to this with the law of Shiluach haKen. May we continue educating ourselves to be merciful and compassionate people, may we feel for the images we see, and look for ways to do something so as to prevent the suffering of our fellow men and women.
Shabbat Shalom!
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