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Why does the Torah (תורה) command "lo sikach ha-em al habonim" when it describes eggs and fledglings? The shiur develops a novel reading that when the mother bird sits on her offspring, they become an extension of her being - taking them is literally taking part of the mother herself.
The shiur analyzes the mitzvah (מצוה) of kan tzipor (bird's nest) from Parshas Ki Seitzei, focusing on apparent textual difficulties in the verses. Rabbi Zweig questions why the Torah (תורה) shifts terminology from "efrochim" (fledglings) and "beitzim" (eggs) to "bonim" (children), and why it states "lo sikach ha-em al habonim" (don't take the mother upon the children) rather than explicitly prohibiting taking the eggs. The analysis reveals a fundamental insight about the nature of maternal connection. The shiur proposes that "kan tzipor" represents not just a physical nest, but the bird's acquisition (kinyan) - her private domain that includes the offspring as extensions of herself. When the mother bird "rovetzes" (sits upon) her young, they become part of her being, similar to how "ubar yerech imo" (a fetus is like the mother's limb) operates in human law.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Ki Seitzei 22:6-7
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