Midrasch zu Mischlej 4:23

(Deut. 22:6-7), “You come across a bird nest, [….] You must surely let the mother go.” This text is related (to Prov. 4:23), “More than any observance preserve your heart, for out of it comes life.” R. Abba said, “There are two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments in the Torah corresponding to the organs that are in a human being; for each and every day they cry out at the person, ‘Perform a commandment with me so that we may live through its merit and you may lengthen your life.’ There are also three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments like the number of the solar days. So on each and every day while the sun rises until it sets, it speaks and cries out at a person, ‘Decree me upon yourself by the One who has brought your days up to this day. Do not commit this transgression against me, and do not tilt yourself and the whole world toward the scale of guilt.’” Here are six hundred and thirteen commandments. Moreover, for each and every commandment there is a recorded reward. For example honoring father and mother (in Exod. 20:12 // Deut. 5:16) and leaving a nest alone (in Deut. 22:7) about which it is written, a lengthening of life. There are also commandments with children as the reward; as, for example, Sarah, who hosted guests (in Gen. 18:6-14), and the Shunammite woman, who received Elisha (II Kings. 4:8-17). There is [also] a transgression, [which may] require stoning, burning, slaying (with the sword),⁸Hereg. See Sanh. 7:3, for the interpretation of hereg as beheading with a sword. or strangulation.⁹For details on all four types of execution, see ibid., 6:4; 7:1–3. Of all the commandments, none is as easy as leaving a nest alone. And what it its remuneration (according to Deut. 22:7)? “In order that it may be well with you and you may lengthen your life.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who brought laborers into his field to plant it but did not reveal to them the remuneration for their planting. At evening he gave one gold coin to whoever planted a tree. They all began to be amazed and say, “Now if the one who has only planted a light and small tree [has received] one gold coin, how much the more will there be for us who have planted many [of them].”¹⁰Cf. Deut. R. 6:2. So if the remuneration for leaving a nest alone has a lengthening of life as its remuneration, how much more will be the remuneration for a commandment in which there is material loss, hardship, and [the need to] preserve one's life? For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, did not explain the remuneration for the commandments which are in the Torah, so that Israel of its own accord would fulfill them and thereby increase the remuneration. Thus we have learned (in Avot 1:3), “Do not be like servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving a reward […].” It is therefore written (in Prov. 4:23), “More than any observance preserve your heart, [for out of it comes life].” There is a story about someone who went up to the top of a tree to fulfill the commandment of leaving a nest alone, and he fell and died. [This is] because it is stated (Deut. 22:7), “When you come across a bird nest on the way,” and not that you see it at the top of the trees and go up after it. The verse (Ps. 94:12) states, “Happy is the man whom You discipline, O Lord, the man You instruct in Your Torah.” Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said, “A man must remember gratitude to the Holy One, blessed be He, at a time when afflictions come upon him. Why? Because afflictions draw a man to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Prov. 3:12), ‘For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, as a father the son whom he favors.’” R. Shimon bar Yochai said, “If a man’s son dies, he should not voice a complaint, as the son causes him to be acceptable to the Holy One, blessed be He.” There is a parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who became angry with the son of his daughter, and someone else came and made this son of his acceptable in front of the king. That son of the daughter says, “Do [I] not need to remember gratitude to the one that made [me] acceptable?” So [too] if a man’s son dies, he should remember gratitude to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the son made the father acceptable to his Creator. Why? (As in Prov. 3:12), “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, [as a father the son whom he favors].” Therefore David said in (Ps. 94:12), “Happy is the man whom You discipline, O Lord.” If afflictions come to a person, he should stand firm and accept them. Why? As there is no end to its remuneration. And from where (in Scripture) do you learn [this]? From the tooth and the eye [that is injured], through which a gentile slave goes out to freedom. Is it not [then] fitting that afflictions that scour the entire body of man atone? R. Chiya bar Abba said, “Since it is stated about the one that fulfills the commandment of leaving the nest alone, ‘in order that it may be well with you,’ all the more so will the death of a man’s child atone for him.” (Deut. 22:7:) “And the young (literally, children) take for yourself.” If you do not have children, I will give you children as the reward for this commandment. Another interpretation of (Deut. 22:7), “You must surely let [the mother] go.” If you let them go, (as in Is. 59:18) “According to their deeds, so shall He repay.” [See] what is written (in Jer. 50:33-34), “The children of Israel are oppressed […] they refuse to let them go. Their redeemer is mighty, [His name is] the Lord of hosts; He shall surely fight their fight.” [It also says (in Is. 16:2),] “For it shall be that the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon shall be like a migrating bird, an abandoned nest.” This text is related (to Jer. 17:11), “As a partridge hatches without laying, so is one who makes money apart from justice….” What is written after that (in vs. 12)? “A glorious throne exalted from the beginning, our sacred shrine.” What is the connection between the two [verses]? Whoever says a partridge hatches is [really] saying a glorious throne. [This is] to teach you that a partridge brings eggs from other birds and sits on them until [the young] emerge from their shells and become fledglings. Then they rise up over it and pluck its wings. When it goes out to fly, it is unable [to do so] because its wings are plucked. So a wild beast or reptile finds it and eats it. And what caused its [destruction]? [It happened] because it had raised eggs that were not its own. So it shall be with the peoples of the world and the Moabites and the Ammonites that stretched their hands against (according to Jer. 17:12) His glorious throne, destroyed His sacred shrine, burned His Temple, and carried Israel into exile. The Holy One, blessed be He, shall destroy their memory, as the matter is stated (in Zeph. 2:9), “Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall become like Sodom, [and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah].”

(Deut. 22:6–7): WHEN YOU COME ACROSS A BIRD NEST, [….] YOU MUST SURELY LET <THE MOTHER> GO. This text is related (to Prov. 4:23): MORE THAN ANY OBSERVANCE PRESERVE YOUR HEART, FOR OUT OF IT COMES LIFE. R. Abba said:¹⁰Tanh., Deut. 6:2. There are two hundred and forty-eight [positive] commandments in the Torah corresponding to the organs that are in a human being; for each and every organ cries out at the person and says: Perform a commandment with me so that we may live through its merit and you may lengthen your life. There are also three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments like the number of the solar days. So on each day while the sun rises until it sets, it speaks and cries out at a person: You who have lived your life up to this day. Do not commit this transgression against me, and do not tilt me and the whole world toward the scale of guilt. Here are six hundred and thirteen commandments. Moreover, for each and every commandment mentioned there is a reward. For example honoring father and mother (in Exod. 20:12 // Deut. 5:16) and leaving a nest alone (in Deut. 22:7) <result in> a lengthening of life. There are also commandments with children as the reward, as, for example, Sarah, who lodged travellers (in Gen. 18:6–14), and the Shunammite woman, who received Elisha (II Kings. 4:8–17). There is also transgression, <which may> require stoning, burning, slaying (with the sword),¹¹Hereg. See Sanh. 7:3, for the interpretation of hereg as beheading with a sword. or strangulation.¹²For details on all four types of execution, see ibid., 6:4; 7:1–3. Of all the commandments, however, none is as easy as leaving a nest alone. And what it its remuneration (according to Deut. 22:7)? IN ORDER THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LENGTHEN YOUR LIFE. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who brought laborers into his field to plant it but did not reveal to them the remuneration for their planting. At evening he gave one gold coin to whoever planted one tree. They all began to be amazed [and say]: Now if the one who has only planted a light and small tree [has received] one gold coin, how much the more will there be for us who have planted many <of them>.¹³Cf. Deut. R. 6:2; Matthew 10:1–17. So if the remuneration for leaving a nest alone [<has> a lengthening of life as its remuneration], how much the more will be the remuneration for a commandment in which there is material loss, hardship, and <the need to> preserve one's life. For this reason the Holy One did not explain the remuneration for the commandments which are in the Torah, so that Israel of its own accord would fulfill them and thereby increase the remuneration. Thus we have learned (in Avot 1:3): DO NOT BE LIKE SERVANTS WHO SERVE THE MASTER <FOR THE SAKE OF RECEIVING AN AWARD>…. [It is therefore written (in Prov. 4:23): MORE THAN ANY OBSERVANCE PRESERVE YOUR HEART, FOR OUT OF IT COMES LIFE.]