Color Code: Case: Black; Ruling: Green or Red; Name of Tanna: Gold; Reason: Blue; Condition: Purple; Proof: Grey ; Rule: Fuscia
Chapter 12
The twelfth, and final, Chapter of Mesechtas Chullin, discusses the Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKein, of sending away the mother bird from its nest prior to taking its fledglings or eggs. The Torah teaches,
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׃ שַׁלֵּ֤חַ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָאֵ֔ם וְאֶת־הַבָּנִ֖ים תִּֽקַּֽח־לָ֑ךְ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ֖ יָמִֽים׃
Our perek will describe the details of this Mitzvah including, to what type of birds does it apply, to what lengths must one go to fulsill the MItzvah and what happens if you fail to send the mother away.
Mishnah 12:1
The first Mishnah in our Perek simply sets forth the basic Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKein. It applies everywhere, at all time to non-consecrated birds. The Mishnah then compares this Mitzvah to Kisui HaDam; noting that Shiluach HaKein is of more limited nature--applicable to only birds and, then, only to wild birds.
שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, נוֹהֵג
בָּאָרֶץ וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ,
בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת וְשֶׁלֹּא בִפְנֵי הַבַּיִת,
בְּחֻלִּין אֲבָל לֹא בְמֻקְדָּשִׁין.
חֹמֶר בְּכִסּוּי הַדָּם מִשִּׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן,
שֶׁכִּסּוּי הַדָּם נוֹהֵג בְּחַיָּה וּבְעוֹף, בִּמְזֻמָּן וּבְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מְזֻמָּן.
וְשִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָּא בְעוֹף, וְאֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָּא בְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מְזֻמָּן.
אֵיזֶהוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְזֻמָּן.
כְּגוֹן אַוָּזִין וְתַרְנְגוֹלִין שֶׁקִּנְּנוּ בְפַרְדֵּס.
אֲבָל אִם קִנְּנוּ בְּבַיִת, וְכֵן יוֹנֵי הַרְדְּסִיאוֹת, פָּטוּר מִשִּׁלּוּחַ:
(1) The law of letting [the mother bird] go from the nest is in force both within the holy land and outside it, both during the existence of the Temple and after it, in respect of unconsecrated birds but not consecrated birds. The law of covering up the blood is of broader application than the law of letting [the mother bird] go; for the law of covering up the blood applies to wild animals as well as to birds, whether they are at one's disposal or not, whereas the law of letting [the mother bird] go from the nest applies only to birds and only to those which are not at one's disposal. Which are they that are not at one's disposal? Such as geese and fowls that made their nests in the open field. But if they made their nests within a house or in the case of Herodian doves, one is not bound to let [the mother bird] go.
Mishnah 12:2
Our Mishna teaches that the Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKein applies only to kosher birds. The Mishnah also highlights a dispute in whether the Torah's mention of the "mother" bird is limiting so that it only applies to the female parent--this is the position of the Chachomim. Rabi Eliezer, seemingly taking a look behind the reason for the Mitzvah, expanding the obligation to shoo away the male bird, if that is the bird that is caring fro the fledglings.*
* Although some identify the bird in our Mishnah as a partridge, it does not appear that male partridges, in fact, incubate their young.
עוֹף טָמֵא, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
עוֹף טָמֵא רוֹבֵץ עַל בֵּיצֵי עוֹף טָהוֹר, וְטָהוֹר רוֹבֵץ עַל בֵּיצֵי עוֹף טָמֵא, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
קוֹרֵא זָכָר, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְחַיֵּב, וַחֲכָמִים פּוֹטְרִין:
(2) An unclean bird one is not obligated to let it go. If an unclean bird was sitting on the eggs of a clean bird, or a clean bird on the eggs of an unclean bird, one is not obligated to let it go. As to a male partridge: Rabbi Eliezer obligates [one to let it go]. But the sages exempt.
Mishnah 12:3
Our Mishna sets forth 6 rules applicable to the Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKein. Interestingly, in the middle four cases, the Mishnah utilizes the Pasuk as a proof text to support its rulings. The first, uses a basic form of Derash to expand the Mitzvah to cases where only one fledgling or egg is in the nest. The second uses a more expansive Derosho, using the juxtaposition of fledglings and eggs to attribute the qualities of one to the the other, to limit the apllication of the Mitzvah to viable eggs and younger fledglings. The final two cases simply read the Pasuk's imperative at face value.
הָיְתָה מְעוֹפֶפֶת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁכְּנָפֶיהָ נוֹגְעוֹת בַּקֵּן, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
אֵין כְּנָפֶיהָ נוֹגְעוֹת בַּקֵּן, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
אֵין שָׁם אֶלָּא אֶפְרוֹחַ אֶחָד אוֹ בֵיצָה אַחַת, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב), קַן, קֵן מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
הָיוּ שָׁם אֶפְרוֹחִין מַפְרִיחִין אוֹ בֵיצִים מוּזָרוֹת, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל הָאֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ עַל הַבֵּיצִים,
מָה אֶפְרוֹחִין בְּנֵי קְיָמָא, אַף בֵּיצִים בְּנֵי קְיָמָא, יָצְאוּ מוּזָרוֹת.
וּמָה הַבֵּיצִים צְרִיכִין לְאִמָּן, אַף הָאֶפְרוֹחִין צְרִיכִין לְאִמָּן, יָצְאוּ מַפְרִיחִין.
שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, אֲפִלּוּ אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים, חַיָּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח.
אָמַר, הֲרֵינִי נוֹטֵל אֶת הָאֵם וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת הַבָּנִים, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם.
נָטַל הַבָּנִים וְהֶחֱזִירָן לַקֵּן וְאַחַר כָּךְ חָזְרָה הָאֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ:
(3) If the mother was hovering [over the nest]: If her wings touch the nest, one is obligated to let her go; If her wings do not touch the nest, one is not obligated to let her go. If there was but one young bird or one egg [in the nest], one is still obligated to let the mother go, for it is written: “A nest,” [implying], any nest whatsoever. If there were there young birds able to fly or spoiled eggs, one is not obligated to let [the mother] go, for it is written, “And the mother sitting up on the young or upon the eggs:” Just as the young are living beings so the eggs must be such as [would produce] living beings; this excludes spoiled eggs. And just as the eggs need the care of the mother so the young must be such as need the care of the mother; this excludes those that are able to fly. If one let [the mother] go and she returned, even four of five times, he is still obligated [to let her go again], for it is written, “You shall surely let the mother go.” If one said, “I will take the mother and let the young go,” he is still obligated [to let her go], for it is written, “You shall surely let the mother go.” If one took the young and brought them back again to the nest, and afterwards the mother returned to them, he is not obligated to let her go.
Mishnah 12:4
Our Mishna notes a dispute whether a person can, after taking the eggs or fledglings without shooing away the mother, rectify his ways.
הַנּוֹטֵל אֵם עַל הַבָּנִים,
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לוֹקֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּחַ.
וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מְשַׁלֵּחַ וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה.
זֶה הַכְּלָל, כָּל מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בָּהּ קוּם עֲשֵׂה, אֵין לוֹקִין עָלֶיהָ:
(4) If one took the mother with the young: Rabbi Judah says: he has incurred [forty] lashes and he need not now let her go. But the sages say: he must let her go, and he does not incur lashes. This is the general rule: [For the transgression of] any negative commandment which has of a remedy by the subsequent fulfillment of a positive commandment one does not incur lashes.
Mishnah 12:5
Our Mishna, the concluding Mishnah of our Mesechta, first underscores the importance of the Mitzvah, by teaching that even when faced with an equally compelling Torah-based reason, i.e., purifying the Metzorah, one cannot disregard the Mitzvah of Shiluach HaKein and must send away the mother bird.
Finally, in a rare case of describing the relative importance of a Mitzvah, the Mishnah teaches that given the great reward promised for such an "easy" Mitzvah as Shiluach HaKein, it certainly would stand to reason that great reward awaits those who perform more "weighty" Mitzvos.
לֹא יִטֹּל אָדָם אֵם עַל הַבָּנִים, אֲפִלּוּ לְטַהֵר אֶת הַמְּצֹרָע.
וּמָה אִם מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁהִיא כְאִסָּר, אָמְרָה תוֹרָה (דברים כב), לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים, קַל וָחֹמֶר עַל מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה:
(5) One may not take the mother with the young even for the sake of purifying the metzora. If in respect of so light a commandment, which deals with that which is but worth an issar, the Torah said, “In order that you may fare well and have a long life”, how much more [must be the reward] for the observance of the more difficult commandments in the Torah!
תם ונשלם מסכת חולין