Out Fascination with One-Time Mitzvoth
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5777
In April 2012, the Lakewood Scoop posted the following story:
With the arrival of Spring, the opportunity to be Mekayam the Mitzvah of Shiluach Ha’kan also arises. As the breeding season moves into high gear, nests begin popping up all over – in trees, dryer ducts, vents and often in crevices around the home.
Aside from the reward explicitly written in the Torah, Reb Chaim Kanievsky says the Mitzvah of Shiluach Ha’kan is also a Segula to find a Shidduch.
We have a fascination with mitzvoth that are rare and that we only come across occasionally.
Sending away the mother bird is not the only such mitzvah in our parsha. The very last section of the parsha is the reading for Parshat Zachor with which we fulfill our Torah obligation to remember what Amalek did to us in the desert.
Growing up, the shul was packed for Zachor. Everybody came, men women and children. You had to hear Zachor!
I always wonder, why the love and attention for these mitzvoth?
Before I strengthen the question let me state that every mitzvah is precious and should be fulfilled with joy and enthusiasm. Everyone should come to shul to hear Zachor and if the proper circumstances arise certainly send away the mother bird.
That being said it is worth taking a look at these mitzvoth in order to better formulate my question and try to explain my unease.
Let’s start with Zachor.
There is a Torah command to remember what Amalek did to us. According to many we fulfill the Torah command simply by remembering it. According to others we must read it from the Torah in a public reading. Even according to those positions you could fulfill that Torah command by listening to today’s maftir and having intention to fulfill the Mitzvah.
It is also not clear whether this obligation even applies to women. Some argue (Binyan Tzion new/8) that since the mitzvah is to remember once a year, at any time during the year, it is not a time bound positive commandment and thus women are obligated. The Sefer Hachinuch on the other hand writes that women are not obligated because the point of remembering is to eradicate them and women are not obligated in that mitzvah.
What are we actually so careful to fulfill by coming to hear Zachor? For men – it is the rabbinic mitzvah to read this maftir and the rabbinic mitzvah to choose to fulfill our obligation to remember Amalek at this time.
For women it is possibly that!
Shiluach Hakan is even more challenging.
The Torah teaches us that
דברים פרק כב
ו) כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפּ֣וֹר׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵ֣ץ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים א֖וֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים
ז) שַׁלֵּ֤חַ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָאֵ֔ם וְאֶת־הַבָּנִ֖ים תִּֽקַּֽח־לָ֑ךְ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ֖ יָמִֽים: ס
There is a fundamental argument as to the circumstances in which this mitzvah applies. According to some, and it seems to be the plain meaning of the text, it is only when you need the eggs or the chicks. Otherwise you should simply leave them be. According to others even if you don’t need the eggs or chicks there is a mitzvah to send away the mother bird.
Additionally the mitzvah only applies when you happen upon it, but not when you own it. Given that anything on your property is considered yours – to fulfill this mitzvah you must find the nest on public property. To fulfill the mitzvah in dryer ducts, vents and often in crevices around the home you would actually have to find a way to render them ownerless on your property.
If you don’t need the eggs and the nest is on your property – you are rendering the nest owner-less to force a scenario where maybe you fulfill the mitzvah and yet it is all the rage!
Hopefully now you can really understand the question. Considering what we are actually accomplishing why is there so much emphasis on these mitzvoth? Why these are not others?
There are three possible answers?
ONE – We simply did not understand the issue. We thought more was at stake etc.
The other two possibilities relate to the occasional character of the mitzvah. These are mitzvoth that happen very infrequently and are completed simply and quickly.
TWO – It could be that people love the satisfaction that comes from fulfilling a mitzvah and it gives them a spiritual high that mitzvoth that require continual attention don’t provide. That is the nicer way of looking at it.
THREE – Most likely we are drawn to them because they are easy and don’t require constant attention and work. Another check on the mitzvah sheet! Got that one. Nailed it!
That is really the source of my qualms because if we are drawn to those, what does it tell us about our commitment to the mitzvoth that require constant attention?
What pushes me to think that this is the case?
2 things.
- How many people actually find a second nest and send away the mother bird, or a third or fourth? If this mitzvah is so important – why stop at one?
- Shiluach Hakan is preceded and followed by mitzvoth that we are not so good at. The prohibition of motzi shem ra, speaking ill of people is found a few verses before and mitzvoth of shaatnez and tzitizit come right after. How many of us are as careful about how we speak about others, checking our clothing for wool and linen and wearing tzitzit every day?
Probably not as many! And we understand why – they require constant attention and certainly in the motzi shem ra cases – it is really hard.
But there is the rub. It is the mitzvoth that require attention and diligence and work that will affect us the most.
Going into Rosh Hashanah it is critical to understand that our commitment has to be constant and we would be better served focusing on the continual mitzvoth than upon the occasional ones.
