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Why does the mitzvah (מצוה) of sending away the mother bird use the double language "shalach teshalach" instead of the negative "lo tikach"? The shiur develops the yesod that shiluach hakan is about kavod hashaleim—respecting nature and its processes—which in turn creates tikun hashaleim, personal spiritual refinement. This respect for the parenting of a bird ultimately leads to one's own merit as a parent.
The shiur opens with a textual question on the mitzvah (מצוה) of shiluach hakan: why does the Torah (תורה) use the double language "shalach teshalach" (you shall surely send away) rather than simply stating the prohibition "lo tikach haeim al habanim" (do not take the mother with the children)? The Midrash states that one who fulfills this mitzvah is "kedai shetinatzeil"—worthy to be saved—but the precise connection between the double language and this reward requires clarification. Rabbi Zweig rejects the interpretation that "shalach teshalach" refers to being sent away from Gehinnom through a play on words, as this doesn't address why the Torah shifts from the negative formulation (lo tikach) to the positive command (shalach teshalach). Instead, he proposes that the shift in language reflects a fundamental shift in the nature of the mitzvah itself. The prohibition "lo tikach haeim al habanim" could be understood merely as a resource management law—don't deplete the species by taking both mother and offspring together. This would be a form of bal tashchis, a limit on consumption. However, the positive command "shalach teshalach" reveals a deeper dimension: the Torah is teaching kavod hashaleim, respect for nature itself.
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Ki Seitzei 22:6-7
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